You’re the King(‘s) Bird

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) by Margaret Sloan

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) by Margaret Sloan

You’re the King(‘s) Bird ~ by a j mithra

With dark gray upper parts and a neat white tip to the tail, the Eastern Kingbird looks like it’s wearing a business suit.

And this big-headed, broad-shouldered bird does mean business—just watch one harassing crows, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and other birds that pass over its territory.

Eastern Kingbirds often perch on wires in open areas and either sally out for flying insects or flutter slowly over the tops of grasses.

They spend winters in South American forests, where they eat mainly fruit.

Kingbirds are “passerines,” a taxonomic group commonly referred to as perching birds or songbirds. But kingbirds and other flycatchers are in a different subgroup from true songbirds, and they don’t have nearly as complex voices. Rather than learning their calls they probably perform them innately. The young begin to give adult calls at about two weeks of age.

God created us to worship Him after He threw satan.

This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.” Isaiah 43:21

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) by Daves BirdingPix

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) by Daves BirdingPix

Like these birds, worship in our lives should be innate.

  • But, what are we doing in our lives?

We seem to have preset, pre-timed and pre-modeled our spiritual lives in tune with traditional church practices. Come Sunday, we celebrate and worship like as if that would be the last day of our lives. What about week days? Week days seem to be weak days with no personal worship. Corporate worship is fine, but, if personal worship is missing in our lives, is it possible to survive the spiritual warfare against satan. After all, it’s the worship that breaks the hell loose isn’t it?

  • Did not Joshua and his men bring down the walls of Jericho through their worship?”
  • The worship of King Josiah’s choir brought them victory over their enemies isn’t it?
  • Peter and Silas worshipped and their worship broke their chains?

How many times have we read them all, but, do we practice them in our lives?
May be we think that these instances tell us about the power of corporate worship!

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2

If only we had set our lives based on the above verse, our lives would be as triumphant as King David isn’t it? That is the reason why God calls David as a man after His own heart!

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Acts 13:22

The Bible calls us as the Royal priesthood. The price to be paid to be called so is worship.

  • David worshipped at all times and God turned him into a king.

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

  • Are we worthy to be called the Royal priesthood?
King's Crown ©©British Columbia Field Ornithologists

King’s Crown ©©British Columbia Field Ornithologists

It’s not called a kingbird for nothing. The Eastern Kingbird has a crown of yellow, orange, or red feathers on its head, but the crown is usually concealed.

We as children of the King of kings are not called the royal priesthood for nothing. That doesn’t mean that we are born with crowns over our heads, but, God is waiting
for us to finish our race to get our crown. We need to cross check our lives with that of the word of God to find out which crown we deserve to get at the end of the race.

Here are a few crowns waiting for us.

The Incorruptible Crown:

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I Corinthians 9:25

The crown of rejoicing:

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” 1 Thessalonians 2:19

The crown of righteousness:

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

The crown of glory:

And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 1 Peter 5:4

The crown of life :

Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10)

Above all God calls us as His crown. What privilege it is for sinners like me to be called as the crown that the Creator Himself holds in His hands!

Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Isaiah 62:3

When they encounter a potential predator the kingbird may simultaneously raise its bright crown patch,stretch its beak wide open to reveal a red gape, and dive-bomb the intruder.

What do we do when we encounter satan’s plans in our lives?

  • Raise our crown?
  • Dive-bomb?

Our God has given us double barreled ammunition to thwart and nullify satan’s plans. Be still and worship the King and He shall sent His heavenly army to raise a banner for us. For, He is Jehovah Nissi.

So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19

Yours in YESHUA,
a j mithra


Lee’s Addition:

Thanks A J. Glad you are finally getting better and able to produce another great article for us. Our prayers are with you.

The Eastern Kingbird, featured in this article is part of the Tyrannidae – Tyrant Flycatchers Family. There are 11 Kingbirds in the family. They belong to flycatchers

Snowy-throated Kingbird (Tyrannus niveigularis)
White-throated Kingbird (Tyrannus albogularis)
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus)
Couch’s Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii)
Cassin’s Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans)
Thick-billed Kingbird (Tyrannus crassirostris)
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana)
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
Grey Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis)
Giant Kingbird (Tyrannus cubensis)
Loggerhead Kingbird (Tyrannus caudifasciatus)

As the name implies, a great majority of tyrant-flycatchers are entirely insectivorous (though do not necessarily specialized in flies). However, food can vary greatly and some (like the large Great Kiskadee) will eat fruit or small vertebrates (e.g. small frogs). In North America, most species are associated with a “sallying” feeding style, where they fly up to catch an insect directly from their perch and then immediately return to the same perch. Most tropical species however do not feed in this fashion and several types prefer to glean insects from leaves and barks. Tropical species are sometimes found in mixed-species foraging flocks, where various types of passerines and other smallish birds are found feeding in proximity. (Wikipedia)

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2 thoughts on “You’re the King(‘s) Bird

  1. This post, written 6 years ago, is prophetic. If personal worship was important during the writing, how much more now! Many of us spent weeks or even months away from our congregations and had to be sustained by personal worship. I read that 20% of the churches that closed during the pandemic will never re-open. The church isn’t a building, but people… people that did or didn’t maintain personal worship during the trial. Some of my own friends haven’t returned since we re-opened back in May. But it isn’t too late! The Rapture hasn’t yet happened. The time of grace is extended. Come back!

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  2. I wish to acknowledge the short messages by A J Mithra. Absolutely vital for every
    one’s contribution of bird photography..These others also give a description of
    birds they have seen. However thank you A J you tie things in so beautifully.
    You are appreciated.
    PS as a former pastor and an artist this program is extremely useful for me.
    I am a bird “observer ” but today I do the work of an evangelist.
    Peter England

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