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A COVENANT FOR THE BIRDS
A frog went hopping down the road to see the world. He met a dog and said. with his mouth open wide, “I’m a big mouth jumping bull frog. What are you?” The dog replied, “I’m a dog.” “Oh,” said the frog, “I eat flies and mosquitoes what do you eat?” “I eat dog food and bones.” “Oh, well see ya.” And he hopped on. After a while he hopped up to a cat. “I’m a big mouth jumping bull frog. What are you?” he asked. “I’m a cat,” was the reply. “Oh,” said the frog, “I eat flies and mosquitoes. What do you eat?” “I eat mice and drink milk,” replied the cat. “Oh,” said the frog. “Well see ya.” And he hopped on. Next he hopped up to an alligator. “I’m a big mouth jumping bull frog,” he announced. “What are you?” “I’m an alligator.” “Oh,” said the frog. “I eat flies and mosquitoes. What do you eat?” “I eat big mouth jumping bull frogs,” replied the alligator. The last words heard from the frog were spoken through a wee little mouth, “Oh you do?”
I. A PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD Psalms 81: 1-13
"Hear, O my people, and I will warn you — if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it…
"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."
Notice V8 My People, V10 I am your God, V11 My People, V13 My People Others could say, “He is The God, The all powerful God, The merciful God.” Only the Jews
could say, “He is our God, my God.” How could they be so
bold-arrogant? God made a You can say, “She
is a pretty woman, an intelligent woman, a middle aged woman, but only I can
say, “My Not because I am richer, smarter, more handsome but because I covenanted with her. “SHE IS MINE!”
Notice V10 “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” This is a homely
illustration of nest full of birds. What do you see when you look into a
nest? Ugly, pitiful,
A baby bird
doesn’t have to prove its self the mother bird. It doesn’t have to say, “I
can fly to the next
The mother bird looks down and says, “Ah, he looks just like his father.” The only thing
the baby bird needs to learn is to “OPEN HIS MOUTH UP WIDE.” (This is a lop
sided
The only way a baby bird can get into trouble is to keep his mouth shut. TO do it his own way.
Luke 15:12-14 “The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.”
Let’s ask him some questions before he leaves home. Are you very often hungry? NO. Ever? NO. Is your father mean to you? NO Do you have enough cloths? Yes Do you have more than your necessities? Yes Do you have a nice home? Yes Well why do you want to leave? I want to do it my way! (And he fell from the nest.)
Notice the rest of the story Luke 15:14-20: “After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'
No, no, no, young man, prodigal son, you don’t have to prove yourself to your father, just open your mouth, just open your mouth wide, he will fill it.
Notice V22-24, His father brought him a robe-coat, ring, sandals, killed best calf, feast (the celebration of anticipation).
The only mistake the Jews could make is to do it their way. Remember what happened when they insisted on their way of conquering the Promised Land? Remember what happened when Joshua made a his covenant with people he thought were from a far? Remember what
happened when they insisted on a king. When they insisted on their way
things never
What are some ways you know that God’s way is best? I’ll give you a couple examples in my life. I wanted a date with Carol Graham so bad I couldn’t hardly stand it, but she didn’t want a date with me. I tried, I prayed, and I agonized. God had someone picked out that would be my faithful loving companion for 46 years. One that would help me grow in the knowledge and service of the Lord. His way was best.
The darkest day of my life was when my father died. I have never hurt so badly or hurt so long as I did over this one event. Why? Why? Why did my dad have to die? Now, 50 years later I understand that he would have wanted me to live my life perusing a different goal than that of totally serving God. My heavenly father knew and knows what is best. I opened my mouth in my agony and He filled it with joy.
II. GOD KEPT HIS PROMISE TO HIS PEOPLE Genesis 12:1-3 “The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” In other words, “Open your mouth and I will fill it.”
Notice what the Psalmist says about God keeping his promises.
Psalms 105: “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."
When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them — Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles; his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true. The king sent and released him; the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom. (Joseph knew how to open his mouth wide.)
Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham. The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants. He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and made the land dark — for had they not rebelled against his words? He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die. Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers. He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil. Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their manhood.
He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered. Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them. He spread out a cloud as a covering and a fire to give light at night. They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert. (When they opened their mouths he filled them.)
For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for — that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws.
Praise the LORD.”
It has been estimated that Moses lead 2 1/2 million people out of Egypt. If this number would be lined up 50 men across and each line of people was three feet behind the next, the line would stretch 30 miles. Now add to this group all the cattle and wagons and you have an enormous crowd.
“Hay Moses, what are you doing?” “ I’m going to lead the Children of Israel to freedom.” “How many people are you leading?” “I have no idea, but there sure is a lot of them.” “Where are you going?” “I don’t know. I’m just going to follow that cloud.” “What will you do for
money?” “I don’t know, I’m just going to open my mouth wide and God will
fill it.” “It’s hot out there, Moses. The old and the young won’t be able to stand the heat of the desert sun! What are you going to do?” “I’ll open my mouth wide and God will fill it.” V39 “He spread out a cloud as a covering.” “It will get mighty cold in the desert night. What will you do?” “Open my mouth. ”V39b “…and a fire to give light at night.” The Children of Israel walked around in an air conditioned camp for 40 years. “Moses, do you realize how much meat 2 ½ million people eat in just one day. You had better get some mighty big stockyards, butcher shops and simi-trucks to get it to the people. What will you do?” “I’ll open my mouth up wide and let God provide the meat.” Numbers 11:31-3 “Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction. All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail.” “Moses, do you realize how many bread factories it will take to feed that many? What will you do?” “I’ll open my mouth wide.” V40 “He satisfied them with the bread of heaven.” “What will you do about water? Think of the thousands of tankers it will take to bring enough water into the desert to keep these people from dieing of thirst!” V4 “He opened the rock, and water gushed out like a river it flowed in the desert.” “One more question Moses, what are you going to do for cloths? This multitude will be in the wilderness for 40 years. You’ll need many clothing factories.” Deuteronomy 29:5- 6 “During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet...I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.”
THE ONLY THING MOSES NEEDED WAS TO KNOW WAS HOW TO OPEN HIS MOUTH.
III. GOD KEEPS HIS COVENANT WITH THE CHRISTIANS TODAY! Amen?!! Often we act like we don’t believe it.
“Said the robin to the sparrow, I would really like to know why those anxious human being rush about and worry so.” Said the sparrow to the robin, “I think that it must be that they have no heavenly Father such as cares for you and me.”
James 4:10 “Humble yourself in the eyes of the Lord and He will lift you up.” James 4:2 “You have not because you ask not.” (Open your mouth)
What would happen to this congregation if we would really open our mouths up wide? Riches-for you. Wisdom to share. Growth to experience. Heaven to receive.
What if prodigal had said, “Dad, give me more sheep, greater responsibilities, more training?”
“Reader, open your mouth up wide or I’ll tweak your ears!”
IV. Genises 12:1-3 “I’ll Bless them that bless you & cures them that curse you.” Anyone that touches Israel touches me.
Make a list of those who were a blessing to you and notice how God blessed them. Mom, One of my biggest benefactors, died with a smile on lips. Though she had been almost penniless when my father died she was able to give each of her children $10,000 at her death. Arlean lived in poverty all of her childhood. Today she has a nice home, wonderful kids and far less heartache than most of her peers.
The owners of a company where I once worked gave me one years free rent. The company doubled in size in about three years.
Make list of those who cursed you and were cursed. A church from Texas came to Pennsylvania to help us knock doors. Our mayor put up a huge fuss and did all he could to prevent them from serving the lord. A few months later the mayor died. The head of the school board fought hard against Christian principles in school. About a year later he and his family were traveling several hundred miles from home, a drunk crossed all the lanes, and struck his car on the edge of the road, on his side as he tried to escape the accident. His whole family were killed. A basketball coach demanded his kids compromise their religious convictions. He seemed to have a wonderful marriage and family. Within a year his wife left him. A certain man was instrumental in getting a preacher I know, fired from his job. In a few months Ocea fined him three million dollars for spilling oil on his property. A land owner recently treated a Christian in an unfair manner which caused the Christian to loose her foster children. Within three hours two major renters gave notice of leaving. The land owner lost several thousand dollars per mount.
My son once preached a sermon he titled, “Don’t mess around with God’s people.” My father said, "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm," Psalms 105:15. And again he said, “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it… If you have not yet read the sermon, "Ancient Covenants" I would encourage you to do so now.
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This column lists books Just click on the book title
We Can Know . . . 
America's Providential Heritage
What Made America Great? Home page
Abortion
Is Wrong
What God says about Homosexuality
Yielding To The Master's Hands
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