chick – The Jesus Chick

Perhaps it’s an oxymoron that the Jesus Chick has chickens, but I love my little brood. I have nine laying hens, or at least they’re all supposed to lay. Some do not. I have a two Leghorns (Laverne and Ethel), a Rhode Island Red (Lucy), two Silkies (Glo and Sue), two Black Australorps (Shirley and Rhoda) and two Belgium deUccles (Butterscotch and Toffee). They show so much familiarity with the modern day church that it really does seem fitting for them to be in my care. I guess chicken farming is a little like Pastoring. Each of them have their own personality. One’s a little bossy, a couple of them are sometimes lazy, there’s the showboats and the strutters. They all have purpose and potential, but it’s not always evident in the service of the coop. They expect feed and water to be at their beckon call, but if I need productivity on their part… well that’s debatable.

I’ll bet every preacher reading this just shouted a big Amen. If only inside their mind.

If I’m being honest, I’m anyone of those chicks at any given moment in time. Last week was a low productivity week for me. I’m excuseless. Perhaps it’s still the effects of the heart surgery lingering on, or perhaps I just had a lazy week. I don’t know. I just couldn’t seem to come out of my funk. I’m praying since this is Monday that God has mercy on my soul today and my productivity will be up, because He and I have been talking a little this morning about the life of the Jesus Chick. Actually I was listening to another brother’s message and God spoke to my soul in such a tender way, that I had to share it with you. Perhaps today you’re not feeling too productive for Jesus either. Or maybe you feel like you’ve let God down in one of the millions of other ways that I quite often do. Failure is a fact in my life. Whether it’s a chick or sheep, we all stray.

Luke 15

¹Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.

²And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

³And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

⁴What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

⁵And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

⁶And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

⁷I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

The crowd gathered to hear Jesus. The religious and the lost alike had a desire to see and hear Jesus. But for two entirely different reasons. The religious hoped they’d find some way to accuse Him; the lost hoped that find hope. There was no doubt those in the crowd who knew Jesus as Savior and were there for the encouragement. And then there would have been someone like me, who loved the Lord, but let Him down pretty often. Even the saved sheep sometimes stray away from the flock. So what great and awesome news to hear that Jesus would leave the 99 and seek the one who was I!

The other day, David built me a bigger coop for my chickadees and we were taking them from the old coop to the new. In the process of the move one of the hens made a run for it. It took us twenty minutes to get that rebel red back into her place. I’m sure it would have looked like a great comedy as I tried to pin her into an area so David could latch on to her. That’s how God does me sometimes I think. He chases me down through the Holy Spirit, desiring me to come back to Him and commune in sweet fellowship. That liar Satan would have me to believe that God is angry and has no desire to have me home. And I’m dumb enough to believe his lies every time. But the Holy Spirit is relentless! And Praise God He is!!!! The great truth of that is, God doesn’t have to leave the 99 to bring me back, He never leaves any of His children.

There is a multitude of reasons we stray from the Word of God. Sin. Sorrow. Suffocation. Life gets on us and it’s hard to shake. God should not have to come after His children but He does.

My chicks are not free roamers. Mainly because I don’t want chicken poop in my yard or the worry of them bothering the neighbors. I don’t want to be a roamer either. I need to stay penned in the word! I not only speak of the writing of this blog but of the safety of God’s protective fence. The Word of God places a hedge around my heart that keeps the world out, and when I fail to read and study it as I should, it allows a breach for Satan to come in. And just like Lucy the Rhode Island Red, I run for the border! Foolish chick… Praise God for Chick grace.

As I was checking the data on my website one of the top word searches that lead people to my website was “Victorious Chick.” My first thought was, “that’s a cool search;” my second thought was, “Why on earth would that lead them to me?!” I certainly don’t see myself in that light. But I had to wonder… am I? And if so, why? And the greatest question is, if I am, why do I not know? You would think if someone were victorious they would know.

For answers I went back to Israel, I make a trip back there about every day or two because they are the kings and queens of disastrous decisions for which I can identify! So, in a warped way it makes me feel closer to God because His original chosen people likely frustrated Him every bit as much as I do.

Open your mouth and say “Ai”

Joshua 6-8 – the Shari seriously condensed version

After forty years the Israelites had finally made it out of the wilderness! For seven days they marched around the walls of Jericho and when the trumpet blew and the people shouted the walls came down and all but Rahab and her family were destroyed. God had given the orders and they obeyed and it went off without a hitch… until Achan spied a Babylonish garment, some silver and gold and hid it in his tent. Then Israel went out again to battle and because of the Babylonian britches they got the pants beat off of them. Joshua prayed to God, “Why did we not stay in Jordan Lord, now we are here; our people are chickens and Your good name is ruined.” I told you it was seriously condensed! But then God says “Why are you layin’ on your face. There’s sin in your camp.”

Some of my greatest failures have been because I have had sin in my camp. It doesn’t even have to be great sin, but God’s people are held to a higher accountability. Achan and his family were stoned to death and burnt with fire, guilty by association, and recompense was made. I used to not understand why God took such extreme measures, until I studied the law of Moses. It is not by coincidence that when this event ended Joshua built an altar and wrote the Ten Commandments upon them. God is Holy. He hasn’t changed, but what has changed is that we are no longer under the law, but under grace; which still does not excuse sin, but it covers it with the blood of Christ. The “Thou Shalt Not’s” are still there, but the debt is paid by Christ’s death, not our own, which Achan had to learn the hard way.

After the death of Achan’s family the children of Israel returned to Ai, and beat the pants off of them and God’s great Name was glorified.

So now you say, what does that have to do with you being a victorious chick? I’ve had the victories, I’ve coveted things that were not mine, lost a battle or two and God graciously allowed me to return to the battle field that I’d been beaten on and have victory again.

Over the years I have desired positions and things that God never intended me to have, and when I got them it always lead to disaster. Rather than being satisfied with where God had me at the time or what I had at the time I would move ahead of God’s intended design, and the price was always high. But then I’d repent and settle back into my place and God would slowly but surely bring me back to that place and I’d have the victory. I don’t think it was as sweet as it would have been if I’d have waited on Him. But it was sweet!

So I guess I am a victorious chick, but not of anything I have done, but as it says in 1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen! Vctory comes in obedience. Are you in a rough spot, you’ll have to examne your own life and see where you are. There may be sin (if there is, you know) or it may be a waiting time when God needs to see obedience in the wait. Either way, just hold on! God will bring you through!

Share with me your victories! I’d love to hear

Tag: chick

Foolish chick… Praise God for Chick Grace

A Victorious Chick!