THE EAGLE

(Part II)

Eagle Sight

Isaiah 40:1-31

I.                   BACKGROUND

Introduction of a New Season. Isaiah 40:1-5

Revelation of Weakness of Humanity (Behold your God.)  Isaiah 40:6-11

His Might.  Isaiah 40:12-18

Futility of Idols.  Isaiah 40:19-20

God’s Swag.  Isaiah 40:21-26

Why do You Doubt Me?

²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? ²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹ He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might, He increases strength. ³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, ³¹But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

II.               EAGLE SIGHT

The human eyes take up 5% of the head, the eagle’s eyes occupy 50%!

Eagle vision can reach up to 4 - 5 times further than a person with perfect vision.

1.     With Eagle Sight You Can See What You Want Easier (Vision)

Proverbs 29:18

¹⁸ Where there is no revelation (vision), the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.

1 Chronicles 12:32

³² of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do

Isaiah 30:21

²¹ Your ear shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

Psalm 32:8

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye

                       

                        2 Corinthians 1:17

¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? ¹⁸ But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No.

2.     Eagle Sight Keeps us from Seeing Too Much Flesh

They have two eyelids. Other than the standard sleep-shut-eyelid, eagles have a special inner eyelid called nictitating membrane.

This eyelid blinks every 4 to 5 seconds and helps to lubricate the eyes and wipe off dust and particles from the cornea. 

Matthew 6:22-23

²² “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Proverbs 4:25-27

²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. ²⁶ Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. ²⁷ Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

Galatians 5:17

¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish

3.     With Eagle Sight We will See the True Color of People and Things

The eagle’s color vision also have an advantage over people. People see three basic colors whereas eagles see five. 

Eagle eyes have many sensory cells.

PBS notes that humans have 200,000 light-sensitive cells per square millimeter of retina, while eagles leave humans in the dust with about 1 million light-sensitive cells per square millimeter of retina. They see colors as more vivid than we do, they can discriminate between more shades, and can also see ultraviolet light — an ability that evolved to help them detect the UV-reflecting urine trails of small prey.

Hebrew 5:14

¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

4.     No One Can Sneak Up On You with Eagle Sight

They have nearly double the field of view as compared to humans. 

If our eyes are angled 30 degrees away from the midline of our faces like an eagle's, we will be able to see almost all the way to the back of our head with a 340-degree visual field (compared to normal humans' 180-degree field).

2 Kings 6:8-12

⁸ Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” ⁹ And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.” ¹⁰ Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice. ¹¹ Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” ¹² And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

Ex. Elisha told plans king made in his bedchamber

5.     Eagle Sight is Not good for Night Vision

You rarely see an eagle hunting at night because eagles do not have good night vision.

At night they will prefer to stay around their nests and relax as it is too dangerous and inefficient to hunt without their highly sophisticated day vision.

John 3:19

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

-         Don’t stress as much…

Answer Key: Easier; Flesh; True Color 

MOMENTUM

Is the product of the mass and velocity of an object in Physics?

Def. force or speed of movement: strength or force gained by motion or through the development of events :

impetus -  a driving force: impulse: stimulation or encouragement resulting in increased activity

Momentum deals with moments

Our life and future are often determined by how we respond and react to moments in time.

Moments produce momentum – how we respond to the momentum determines our end result

Bible Examples of Moments

2 Kings 13:14-19; 22

¹⁴ Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. ¹⁵ And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. ¹⁶ And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. ¹⁷ And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. ¹⁸ And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice and stayed. ¹⁹ And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou should have smitten five or six times; then had thou smitten Syria till thou had consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

²² But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

Joshua 14:6-14 (Joshua took Hebron)

·        A Levitical city. Jos 20:7

·        A city of refuge. Jos 21:11

·        Royal Residence of David when he became king of Judah  2 Sam 5:5

·        David was anointed as king over all Israel (2Sa_2:1-4, 2Sa_2:11; 1Ki_2:11).

Judges 1:20-21

²⁰ And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak. ²¹ And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

Benjamin missed their opportunity to take Jerusalem (400 more years before David was able to take it. 

Luke 19:41-44

⁴¹ And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it, ⁴² Saying, If thou had known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. ⁴³ For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, ⁴⁴ And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knew  not the time of thy visitation.

WE ARE IN A MOMENT

Things to do in a moment

1.     Press passed weariness and discouragement.

2.     Believe again – Rekindle your faith

3.     Avoid offense

4.     Become Audacious

5.     Break out – Do things differently

6.     Don’t stop short

THE EAGLE

Eagle Height

(Part 2)

Isaiah 40:1-31

New Season

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. ² “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.” ³ The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. ⁴          Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; ⁵ The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

All Flesh is Grass so behold your God! He is Strong yet Tender and Gentle

⁶ The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. ⁷    The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. ⁸ The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” ⁹ O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” ¹⁰ Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.¹¹ He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.

His Might

¹² Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span

And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales

And the hills in a balance? ¹³ Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has taught Him? ¹⁴  With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him,

And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? ¹⁵ Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. ¹⁶ And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. ¹⁷ All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. ¹⁸ To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?

Futility of Idols

¹⁹ The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains. ²⁰ Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution

Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter.

God’s Swag!

²¹ Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? ²² It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. ²³ He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. ²⁴ Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away as stubble. ²⁵ “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. ²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

Why do You Doubt Me

²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”?

²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹ He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might, He increases strength. ³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, ³¹           But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Background of the Text

I.                   MOUNT UP

To ascend; to lead up; to lead out; to bring up; to cause to rise

1.     Revolution

There is Rank in the Spiritual Realm

Ephesians 6:12

¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

2 Corinthians 11:5

⁵ For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.

a.      The rank is usually by faith unto grace…

Romans 5:2

Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

2.     You Seldom Lose your Peace

Acts 20:18-24

“You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; ²⁰ how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, ²¹ testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. ²² And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. ²⁴ But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

3.     Be Comfortable with Your Identity and Authority

Colossians 2:10

¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

4.     Your View is Upward

2 Corinthians 4:8-10,12,16-18

⁸ We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—¹⁰ always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body…¹² So then death is working in us, but life in you…¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.  ¹⁸ while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Answer Key: Seldom, Comfortable

WORD OF THE LORD FOR 2019

1 Chronicles 12:32

³² of the sons of Issachar who had an understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…

I.                   WORD FOR THE YEAR

1.     YEAR OF POWER

a.     Power to Govern

Mark 4:35-41

³⁵ On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” ³⁶ Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling. ³⁸ But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

b.     Signs and Wonders

Acts 8:6

⁶ And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

2.     YEAR OF REVOLUTION

1 Peter 5:10

¹⁰ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. (KJV)

Not just Breakthrough but Revolution

 Revolution- a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system.

3.     YEAR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Isaiah 40:1-5

Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. ²“Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.” ³ The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. ⁴ Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; ⁵ The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

4.     YEAR OF SALVATION

Acts 9:1-6

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴ Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ⁵ And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” ⁶ So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

a.     Turning of our hearts towards evangelism

2 Timothy 4:5

⁵ But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

                        Titus 3:3-5

³ For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, ⁵ not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 15:10

¹⁰ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 19:10

¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

                        Daniel 12:3

Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.

5.     YEAR OF INCREASE

a.      Door of Access

1 Kings 3:5

⁵ At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

     

b.     Increase Comes from Access

1 Kings 10:1-3; 10

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. ² She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. ³ So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her… ¹⁰ Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

6.     YEAR OF BATTLE

a.      Don’t go just looking for a fight

Strategic Battles

1 Timothy 1:18

¹⁸ This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare.

Prophetic Words etc…

7.     YEAR OF OPPORTUNITY

But some of the opportunity will come out of chaos…

Look for opportunities within the chaos

8.     YEAR FOR PEACE (SHALOM)

John 14:27

²⁷ Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

II.                WHAT’S REQUIRED

1.     Reimaging

Genesis 15:4-5

⁴ And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” ⁵ Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

2.     Decreeing

Job 22:28

²⁸ You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways.

3.     Believing

Hebrew 11:6

⁶ But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

4.     Acting

James 2:26

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Answer Key:  Govern; Righteousness; Battle; Decreeing