Remember Jesus’s parable about the sower? He used the illustration about how the ‘birds come immediately to snatch the seed that was sown’. Later, when His disciples asked about the meaning of it all, He painted a clearer picture for them saying that the birds were ‘ the devil who comes to take away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.’ (Luke 8:12)
Here...take a quick trip back to Deuteronomy 28. That’s the chapter where Moses was laying out all the blessings for God’s people informing them what would await them in the Promised Land IF...they would do as God instructs. But then he spends even more time painting a gloomier and darker scenario as to what would befall them if they did Not do as God said. Warning people of consequences for bad choices is not being mean; on the contrary, it’s actually a very loving thing to do. Don’t parents do that with kids all the time...warn them?
So there in Deut. 28, begin with vs. 20 and read through vs. 26. God is telling them how these things will come upon them if they forsake Him. He shares how they will be defeated by their enemies and that their ‘carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth’. (26). You actually see this reference repeated in multiple places in the OT. (Anyone remember the parallel I have mentioned in previous postings about how our ‘flesh nature is serpent food’? (Gen.3:14,19). And if referring back to these OT examples bothers you, please note that Paul told us in 1 Cor. 10 that these were written down for our example and warning. (vs. 6,11)
So continuing on from the past few days, and repeating a few things, which is beneficial, Jesus had finished telling His disciples about this ‘flood’ that would take unsuspecting people away to destruction. (Who comes in like a ‘flood’? Isaiah 59:19). The flood reference is there in Luke 17:27. Jesus paints a graphic picture of how people will be taken away (not rapture) and the disciples asked Him ‘where to, Lord’? (37). His answer: “wherever there is a carcass, the vultures will be gathered”. (and presumably flies and other beast of the field). That is what dead bodies attract, yes?
Quick trip to Revelation 3- Jesus is warning/chastising the church there at Sardis telling them while they may have a reputation or a ‘name’ of being really “alive”, they are in fact, in His eyes, ‘dead’. (3:1). Later in Revelation, John describes this ‘false church system’, as a ‘mother of harlots’ and uses the term ‘Mystery Babylon’. (chapter 17). We are on the ‘fast track’ here for now, but look there in Rev. 18 what this ‘Babylon’ has become – a ‘dwelling place of demons, a prison for every fouls spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!” (2)
Whew....take a breath and pause here a moment.
Let me connect some more dots if I may? (or let the Holy Spirit, actually)
Dead bodies attract what?(vultures/flies/beast of field) And these can often be a type to describe what?(demons) Now in Ephesians 2:1-3, we are told that at one time we ‘were dead in sins and trespasses”...fulfilling our fleshly appetites and desires; and who was working “in us”? The prince of the air, the demon ‘spirits’ who now work in ‘sons of disobedience’. So when Paul mentions that “we all once walked this way”, the implication is clear: We don’t walk that way anymore, right? Well, we should not be according to scripture.
Now...let’s pop in on Romans 8. Paul lays out beautifully this contrast between the spiritual nature and flesh nature. To be carnally minded is death and to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (6). And despite popular thinking, we are not to be living with a dual nature. To be living according to this flesh nature is to be hostile to God and there is no way you can please Him. (8). And If we live according to the flesh, we will die, 13) (or remain dead). And what does a ‘dead carcass attract’? Has it ever occurred to you as to why we really don’t want to drag our feet when it comes to burying a dead body? We know what it draws.
Now, those who ‘belong to Christ’ have similar and defining characteristics. Scripture spells it out for us, or course. Children of God are abiding in Christ. They ‘follow’ and are ‘led by His Spirit’. (John 10:27; Rom. 8:14). And IF they are following, the Spirit is leading them to ‘put to death’ all the deeds/work/fruit of the flesh nature’. (Rom. 8:13). It should be pretty easy to identify who those that belong to Christ are: “Those who belong to Christ have crucified. (put to death) the flesh with its passions and desires”. (Gal. 5:24). That would seem to me to be a pretty clear indicator to recognize, would it not?
Oh...one more reference to ‘flies’. Seems I remember that being one of the plagues back in the book of Exodus. It was actually the fourth plague that befell the land of Egypt and, interestingly, if I’m not mistaken, it was the first plague that did not affect the children of Israel, just the Egyptians. Take a look at Exodus 8:20-24. 22-23 is worth highlighting: “And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people...”
I...will ‘make a difference...between My people and your people”. Would you go take a look at 2 Cor. 6:16-18 for a moment please? (If anyone wants to point to this incident in Exodus to suggest that “God’s people” are not affected or plagued by ‘flies/unclean spirits’...careful there1 ;-). )
God has this thing about drawing a defining line in the sand, so to speak. Take a look at 1 John 3:10 where he writes how one can clearly see who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are. He warns us in the previous verses that we better not let anyone deceive us or tell us otherwise...but that if you are abiding in Christ, you are not sinning. (4-9)
There really is so much to this ‘abiding’ in Him. I bet you are familiar with Psalm 91. Go back and read the first 13 verses there and see if some of those words don’t just jump out at you now. i.e.- ‘abiding under the shadow of the Almighty’, ‘delivering you from the pestilence’, ‘covering you with His wings”, “thousands falling all around you but not coming near you”, “no evil will befall you nor shall any plague come near your dwelling’.” And then you see reference to some of those ‘beast of the field’ in vs. 13.
You know another thing about flies we don’t care for? They carry ‘germs’. Lots of tiny, flying bugs can do that. They can go from one pile of ‘feces’ to the next...then a dead body...laying eggs in it...moving on to something else...and if you are not paying attention, they are all over your dinner if you are eating outside. (or have left a door/window open). {as in ‘left a door or window open’ – Matt. 12:43:45}
And that line in Ps. 91 about Him covering you with His wings (4)...look at Matt. 23:37. Jesus saw/knew a ‘flood of destruction’ was coming. He warned them (and us) as He cried out: “....How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings...but you were not willing!”.
Why....Why would anyone be resistant or hesitant in wanting to abide continually in/with Jesus? Is there something you are not ready to “let go of yet?” Is there possibly a ‘fly in your soup...or soul’ that you find more desirable than Him?
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