Fly Spiritually Like An Eagle

March 12, 2002 PM
Pastor Chris Abernathy
Columbus, Georgia




If you would, turn in your Bibles with me to the book of Isaiah chapter forty. Isaiah chapter forty. When you reach Isaiah chapter forty, please signify by saying amen. In Isaiah chapter forty, beginning with verse twenty-eight, it said,

28. Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

29. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31. But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Let us pray.

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for who You are, for what You do. Father, hide Your Son behind the cross, that Your people would see You and not me. And Father, as I decrease, I ask that You would increase. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

When we had our anniversary, Pastor Bithaya began to talk about eagles.

And when we look at the Bible, it depicts us as trees in Psalms number one. It depicts us as sheep in the twenty-third Psalm. Amen? Glory to God. The Bible even depicts us as branches on the vine in John fifteen.

But tonight we’re going to talk about being a spiritual eagle. Tonight we’re going to talk about what a spiritual eagle is, what it’s like to truly be a spiritual eagle. In order to do that, we’re going to have to compare an eagle to another bird.

I remember she compared an eagle to a buzzard. But tonight we’re going to compare an eagle to a chicken. Amen? Oh, hallelujah, somebody.

When we study eagles, we can see that there are some powerful characteristics about them. And one such characteristic (glory to God) in contrast to a chicken is that a chicken is a follower of the crowd. Oh, hallelujah, somebody.

You see, all the chicken has to do is see the rest of the chickens running across the chicken yard. And they don’t have to know why they’re running. They don’t have to have a plan. They don’t have to have a purpose. All they going to do is start following after those other chickens.

When we look at our Bibles, in Second Corinthians chapter six... Go there with me tonight.

They don’t have to have a reason. They just start running. Hallelujah, somebody.

In Second Corinthians chapter two and verse... I’m sorry. Chapter six and verse seventeen. It said,

17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

You see, it’s telling us as eagles, we cannot be among the chickens. Because the chickens don’t have any purpose. The chickens don’t have any plan. Do you hear what I’m saying? They don’t know where they’re going. They don’t know who they’re following. Hallelujah. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter.

It’s like elder Harris said on Saturday. According to Matthew fifteen and verse, chapter fifteen and verse fourteen, it’s like the blind leading the blind. You see, they don’t have any direction. Look at your neighbor and say, “I need direction.”

I don’t know about you, but I need direction. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is here that we may have direction. The Holy Spirit is here that we might have guidance. I can’t follow without direction. I need instruction. I need direction. I need to know where I’m going. I’m not going to be blind in this thing. I’ve got to have a plan. I need a goal. I have to have an objective in my life.

I refuse to be a chicken. A chicken follows the other chickens because it doesn’t want to miss out on anything. It doesn’t want to miss out on what the majority is doing. Let me tell you something. Sometimes the majority can get you in trouble.

You see, it wants to be a part of the in crowd. It doesn’t dare to be different. But if I really know who I am, I have to dare to be different. I have to know, like T. D. Jakes said, I’m an original, and there’s nobody else like me. Hallelujah.

It wants to know what the majority is doing all the time.

When we look at our book of Galatians chapter one, when the Lord called Paul, he said, “I didn’t confer with flesh and blood.” He said, “But I went on the backside of the desert for three years.” He said, “Even though I’m the chief apostle, I’m the least of the apostles.”

You see, he had a revelation (glory to God) that he didn’t have to be among the majority. Glory to God. He had a revelation that he can be all by himself with God. Every now and then you got to get by yourself with the Lord, in the Presence of the Lord, so that the Lord can deal with you on a one-on-one basis.

You see, when we spend time all the time with the majority, we really miss out. It’s not that we’re missing out when we’re with the majority all the time. We’re missing out (glory to God) because God wants to speak to us. He wants to say something to us. He wants us to... He wants to tell us exactly what He’s doing in the earth right now.

When we look at chickens, their demeanor is always that they’re squabbling and fighting. They’re always squabbling and fighting and bickering.

You see, there can be a juicy bug (Can’t it?) right in the chicken yard. Can you go with me tonight? And ain’t nobody... Ain’t no chickens paying attention to it. They done seen it. Glory to God. And they done walked by it. But as soon as one of the other chickens grab a hold of it... Oh, you don’t want to hear me tonight. As soon as it seem like one of the other chickens got it, all of them start scurrying to that one thing. All of them want a piece of it. You can see them all running across the yard.

That’s a chicken mentality. It don’t want it until you got it. It’s been there all the time. Hallelujah.

We’re contrasting chickens and eagles. We’re not squabbling tonight, and we’re not bickering, and we’re not fighting. Because He has a purpose and a plan for each one of us. And what belongs to me belongs to me. What’s mine is mine. And what’s yours is yours. There’s enough for us all. I don’t have to fight about yours. And you don’t have to fight about mine. In the Name of Jesus.

What happens is, the Bible says in the book of James chapter three, “Where there’s envying and strife, there’s confusion and every evil work.”

You see, what happens is, envy comes in because they got it first. And strife comes in because they won’t give you none of it. And confusion comes in because everybody else that coming in the church trying to get a word from the Lord is wondering what’s really going on. It’s the chicken mentality. They don’t realize that they have their own. They always want somebody else’s.

When you look at the body of Christ, even with ministers, they’re not satisfied with their portion. They always want somebody else’s. Do you hear what I’m saying? But if I would get a revelation what’s laid on me, I would know that I can’t even handle what I’ve got. How am I going to handle what somebody else got? It’s the chicken mentality. Glory to God.

They have no interest in what’s going on over their heads. In other words, they don’t have any interest in the heavenly realm. Their heads are always constantly on the ground. They’re always looking down. Glory to God. They’re always looking down instead of looking up. They’re never looking up.

They’re never wondering what’s going to happen next. Glory to God. They keep their heads down on the ground all the time. They can’t see anything. The Bible says, “Look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.” It’s the chicken mentality. It’s the chicken mentality.

They never try to fly. But they’re bound to the ground. They got wings. And if they really tried, they could fly. But they’re bound to the ground. That’s where they want to stay. Do you hear what I’m saying? They’re afraid of going too high. It’s the chicken mentality. Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost.

They’re complacent with just being in the barnyard. Do you hear what I’m saying? (Tongues.) We’re talking about the chicken mentality.

Their living is limited. Their living is confined. And they’re always predictable. And everything about them, as Wanita Bineham said, is boring. Do you hear what I’m saying? It’s the chicken mentality that mama did it like this. Grand-mama did it like this. And I don’t know no other way. The chicken mentality.

But when we look at the eagle, the eagle’s life is totally different. They soar through the atmosphere, effortlessly. They have keen sight and powerful flight. They see things off in a distance. They don’t just look down at what’s going on right there. But they have eyes to see in a distance. They’re the king of the sky.

God is calling us to be spiritual eagles. He’s calling us to have an eagle’s mentality. He didn’t just call us to feed on chicken feed. Do you hear what I’m saying? That’s what a chicken feeds on. But an eagle is a bird of prey. And he likes to eat meat. Do you hear what I’m saying tonight? An eagle wants to eat meat. He’s not satisfied with the mediocre. He’s a bird of excellence.

That’s why he’s a symbol of a nation. That’s why you can find them in the middle of a crest for people of royalty. Glory to God. Because that’s the kind of creature that he is.

When we look at the characteristics of an eagle with it’s mate, they have one mate for life, until death do them part. Do you hear what I’m saying? A chicken going to mate with any and everybody. Hello, somebody. It don’t matter. But an eagle is particular. Glory to God.

Both parents sit on the eggs. He don’t just leave the mama to watch the eggs. Glory to God. He’s going to take care of the nest also. Hallelujah. He’s going to guard the nest just like the mama’s going to guard the nest.

When we look at the eagle, they both feed and train the young. It’s not a one-sided thing. (Tongues.) But it’s two-sided. They both take turns. Glory to God. While one goes off, the other one stays. And sometimes they both stay at the same time. They got a family plan going on. In the Name of Jesus.

When we look at the little eaglets, they’re just like newborn Christians, aren’t they? Just like newborn Christians. They always got their mouth open. Waiting for the next meal, aren’t they? Because they know that daddy or mama going to put something in that mouth. Glory to God.

We look at Jehovah God. He’s our Father eagle, isn’t He? Glory to God. And He’s just like the parents of these eaglets. Glory to God. And just like the parents of the eagles put good things in their mouths, He’s going to put good things in your mouth if you allow Him to. He’s feed you. If your mouth is constantly open to receive, He’s going to make sure you eat.

Because the appetite of an eaglet is insatiable. In other words, it’s constantly, always hungry. It’s always looking for something. When you’re a baby eagle, you’re always trying to get the Word in you. Do you hear what I’m saying? You’re trying to get the Word all the time. You’re always searching. You’re always seeking to be fed. Hallelujah.

Go with me to Psalm eighty-one. We’re talking about eagles and chickens tonight. I know you heard about the buzzard. But we’re talking about the chicken. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

In Psalm eighty-one and verse ten, He said,

10. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

All you have to do is be ready to receive it. He said, “Open up your mouth wide, and I’m going to fill it.” He didn’t say, “I’m going to half fill it.” He said, “I’m going to fill it.” In other words, He’s going to make sure your belly is full of the Word. Hallelujah. Do you hear what I’m saying tonight? He’s going to feed you until you can’t take no more.

Go with me to Matthew chapter seven. Matthew chapter seven. (Tongues.) And verse eleven. And this is what it says. He says,

11. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

See, when you open up your mouth to receive, you’re asking God for something. And God said, “If you ask anything according to My will,” He said, “I hear you.” The Bible says this is the confidence that we have in him. All I have to do is be ready to receive.

You see, a lot of times when we’re in the ministry, we don’t get fed the way we need to get fed, because we’re putting out. But it’s that minister’s fault. It’s so much Word going around. Do you hear what I’m saying? There’s enough to go around that I can be fed each and every day. There’s no reason for me to dry up. I should have a constant supply on the inside of me, to feed those that are young than me, that need more nourishment than I need. Glory to His Name.

When we look at the word “eagle,” it means “one feeding with the beak.” And just like the eaglets feed from the mouth of the parent, we feed from the mouth of God.

Go with me to Matthew chapter four. In Matthew chapter four and verse four, it says,

4 . But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

In other words, just like (glory to God) that mother eagle and that father eagle regurgitate... Do you hear what I’m saying? And the eaglets receive what the parents give them. The Father is speaking to us by His Word. And all we have to do is receive what came out of Him and take it on the inside of us. Glory to God. And it will cause us to be able to grow in the manna in which we are able, in the manna in which we need to grow. Glory to God.

We’ve been called to live the life of eagles and not of chickens.

Go with me to this last Scripture tonight. In the book of Deuteronomy chapter thirty-two, and verse eleven. It says,

11. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:

12. So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

Listen. When we look at an eagle, what she does, when they’re building that nest, they fill it with the skins of other animals. They fill it with rabbit feathers to make it so, so comfortable for their young.

But when their young start to get bigger, they begin to stir up the nest. They begin to get those comfortable things out of their. They begin to make the nest so uncomfortable. Do you hear what I’m saying?

It’s like that in the Spirit. After a while God is going to make the nest so uncomfortable for you. He’s going to make you get up. Hallelujah. He’s going to move all of that comfortability. He’s going to make you want to get up out of that nest and start to fly on your own.

But He’s not going to leave you alone. He’s going to watch over you. He’s going to watch over you when you jump up out of the nest. He’s going to watch while you flap your wings. He’s going to make sure that while you glide, you glide to a place of safety until you can do it all over again. Hallelujah. Until you get the hang of that thing.

But once you get the hang of it... Hallelujah. Do you hear what I’m saying? You don’t want to be in that nest no more. Do you hear what I’m saying? You don’t want to be in that place no more. You want to fly. Eagle, fly in the Name of Jesus.

Powerful flight. Keen sight. That’s what He’s trying to get us to. He don’t want us to be chickens no more, that do things spitefully to other folk. Do you hear what I’m saying? He don’t want us to have the chicken mentality where if they got it we want it. Do you hear what I’m saying? He don’t want us to have the chicken mentality with a life full of strife. Always bickering. Always complaining. And always murmuring. And never satisfied. Hey, I feel Jesus.

When I become an eagle, I can fly. And I live for those currents on the wind that are super strong. I don’t worry about them blowing me away. Because God has given me an awesome wing span. Oh, do you hear what I’m saying? I have learned skillfully how to fly, in the Spirit, in the Anointing of God. I’m not worried about crashing. Because I been trained to do what I’m supposed to do. Fly, eagle, fly. Fly, eagle, fly.

I remember when I was in Atlanta, when I was just getting into the prophetic ministry, still at my traditional church. This woman of God told me, she said, “You got eagle eyes.” I didn’t know what in the world she was talking about. She was saying that you got keen sight, and you can see. And I couldn’t see like I can see now. But I could see. And she said, “You got eyes like an eagle.”

In other words, “You’re not satisfied with your same surrounding all the time. You got to fly a little bit. You got to see what’s going on out there. You still know where your nest is.” Do you hear what I’m saying? But you know how to fly. You know how to go out and come in and go out. Do you hear what I’m saying? You’re skillful at what you do.

So tonight I submit to you, eagles, it’s time to fly.

See, what happens, too many of us in the body of Christ, we become spiritually fat. Don’t we? It’s alright to know the Word. Do you hear what I’m saying? It’s alright to love the Word. But I got to be a doer of the Word. The Bible says that I’m an ambassador for Christ. Do you hear what I’m saying tonight?

I just can’t come to get a good message and say it was a good message. I got to take it an apply it. And then when someone else has a need, I have to take what I’ve learned and give it to them. Hallelujah.

God is calling for eagles to fly. You see, when we get spiritually fat, we get tired of the preacher. Do you hear what I’m saying? We begin to get restless. Do you hear what I’m saying? “Here he go again. Same old man in front of us.” We begin to think it’s a one-man show all the time. You don’t hear me. That’s when we’re too fat.

But an eagle is going to make sure that he works off what he takes in. He’s going to come back in to get fed, so he can take it back out. That’s what an eagle’s going to do. That’s what he’s going to do. He’s going to fly. He’s going to fly.

Let me tell you something. There are different levels in the Spirit. There are different levels. And churches are on different levels. But when you get to a place where you understand ministry and you’re flowing in ministry, it’s not time when you get big to go hop to another church. Do you hear what I’m saying? If you’re getting what you need, it’s time to give it to somebody else. And then come back and get some more for you.

I heard a preacher this morning teaching on, preaching, teaching on tithes and offerings. Got a gigantic church. He said to them, he says, “I know you don’t want to hear this. You want something super deep.”

That’s what happens to us. We want something super deeper. We’re looking for somebody... That’s when we get in the position where we’re really looking for entertainment. You don’t hear me tonight. We’re not really looking to get fed. We’re looking for somebody to entertain us, and show us how deep they can be, and judge them according to their deepness. Hello. I hear echo in the house. The Lord is speaking tonight.

We got a church full of eagles. Oh, no doubt about it. No doubt, no doubt, no doubt. Oh, Holy Ghost. We have a church full of eagles. And when we have a church full of eagles, it’s time to fly. It’s time to fly. That’s what it’s time for. Don’t let your wings get stiff. Don’t forget how to glide on a current. It’s time to fly. It’s time to fly. Do you hear what I’m saying?

Let me tell you what an eagle’s going to do. An eagle’s going to find a way to also enhance. Do you hear what I’m saying? He’s not going to always look for the pastor to enhance. Do you hear what I’m saying? But they’re going to seek to enhance what’s going on. They won’t do the same old thing over and over and over and over again. Do you hear what I’m saying? They’re going to search out new territory in the Spirit.

Tonight if you are an eagle, you need to start flying. Four walls will hold you in. You can’t fly in a building. Do you hear what I’m saying? All you can do is go from the back wall to the back wall. But when you get outside these four walls, the sky is the limit. Do you hear what I’m saying? Thank You, Jesus.

I talked to a brother today. And he knows who I’m talking about. And he blessed me about a plan that he had for the future, about going and coming. And it’s a blessing. It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing to understand that you’re not confined to a building. It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing. But you got to know that. You have to know that. You have to know that, that you are not called to a building.

There is service in this church Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. How are you flying the rest of the days? Hallelujah. How are you flying? How are you flying? Are you flying? If you’re not flying, it’s time to fly. Fly, spiritual eagles. Fly.

Come on, give God a handclap of praise.





Home | Local Ministry | Sermons | Prophetic Words
Ministry News | Photo Album | Contact Us | Affiliate Ministries


True Vine Ministries International · P.O. Box 12134 · Columbus, Georgia 31907

Designed by Revival Fire Web Designs

Copyright© True Vine Ministries International