Hosanna Restoration Church

“What if the bird won’t fly?” This was a question I posed to my wife as she was talking to about the pictures of Christ found in the ceremonial sacrifice described in Leviticus. Two wild birds were taken. One was killed and the other sprinkled with the blood. One died and the other flew away, just as Christ died that we might have life. When I asked about the bird not flying all my wife would say was that it would fly because it was a wild bird and it was made to fly. I believe she was right. But what if it would not?

In Christ, that is what we are made to do as well. We are made to mount up on wings as eagles, run and not grow weary, and walk and not faint. But what if we don’t? What if we won’t? We can choose not to for any of a number of reasons that I won’t go into now.

Jesus told the disciples that He was sending the Promise of the Father upon them and all they had to do was wait and be filled with power from on high. They had no idea what was supposed to happen then, and what did happen was a bit controversial then and remains that way to this day. When they were filled, their response caused people to accuse them of being drunk. The Promise was much more involved than the little that people witnessed, but it was power all the same.

What if they did not respond? What if they resisted? Did all of them continue on? Did some of them turn away? We can assume that some backed up a bit and that others turned away all together.

We know that in the early church not everyone did everything perfectly. We know that at least two people even lied to the leaders and the Holy Spirit and fell down dead. We know that this caused a lot of people to step back a few steps.

Jesus knew this would happen too. He saw it happen during His ministry on the earth. He saw people follow along for a long time enjoying the miracles and the blessings, but when the teaching stretched them the crowd thinned out. Jesus even saw His closest friends, the disciples, run and hide when He was crucified.

The Promise has been poured out for all who will believe. Will we fly? The answer to the question, “Then what,” is entirely up to us. We can fly or we can die or we can remain somewhere in mediocrity. What will be written in the book concerning our life in Christ? The Promise of the Father came and then…what? The rest is up to us.