Birds of the Bible – Out of the Ground

NORTHERN FLICKER (red-shafted form)
photo credit: Evergreen State College

“Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:19 NKJV)

During our devotions this morning, Dan and I were reading John chapter 9. It tells about the Lord healing the blind man. Also, how the religious rulers doubted his story, and wanted to know if he had really been blind. They called the parents in, and questioned them. The temple rulers were especially upset because Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath. Many of you know this story.

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.”
(John 9:1-7 NKJV) [Bolding mine]

Here is a comment from my Chronological Life Application Study Bible (KJV, p 1350)

John 9:6 When Jesus spit on the ground and made mud in order to repair the man’s eyes, he was working with original materials. Gen2:7 states that God formed Adams body from the dust of the Ground. Jesus was demonstrating a creator’s awareness of the materials he first used to shape the human body”

I had never made that connected in that story before, but it is another view of the fact that our Creator WAS here on earth in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for all His creation, and especially the birds, which we enjoy so much. Along with all the other parts of His Creation.

Birds of the Bible

Good News

Kingfishers And Kookaburras – From Creation Moments

Genesis 1:20

“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”

I remember watching a kingfisher, sitting on the branch of a tree, overlooking the pool beneath one of the waterfalls in Neath Valley in the heart of Wales. Its eyes were transfixed on the movements in the pool below. It was watching and waiting, and it had incredible patience. Then, it flew, diving down into the water, and emerging with a fish in its beak, back to the branch where it had previously been perched. It proceeded to beat the fish against the branch. Then it flew off to I know not where, along with its meal!

White-collared Kingfisher by Dan's Pix

White-collared Kingfisher by Dan’s Pix

This common kingfisher was distinctive – blue upperparts and orange underparts, along with its characteristic long bill. And it was doing what we expect kingfishers to do – catch fish! But not all kingfishers live on fish. One of the largest kingfishers – the kookaburra – lives in Australia and doesn’t tend to eat fish, preferring to eat mice and small reptiles, and even the young of other birds. The most well-known feature of the kookaburra is its characteristic laughing call.

Laughing Kookabura Brevard Zoo

Laughing Kookaburra and Dan at Brevard Zoo by Lee

There are over a hundred species of kingfisher, many of which have bright plumage and are among the most beautiful birds that you will see. So how many kingfishers would God have brought to Noah to take on the Ark, considering there are so many species? The answer is just two. One pair of kingfishers, into which God had placed genetic information for a wide variety of adaptations.

Prayer: Thank You again, Lord, for the beauty of Your creation, and the wisdom and variety that You put into it. Amen.

Author: Paul F. Taylor

Ref: Encylopaedia Britannica, < https://www.britannica.com/animal/kingfisher-bird >, accessed 1/29/2019. Image: CC BY-SA 4.0 International.

Kingfishers and Kookaburras Creation Moments Article

I Love those Kingfishers and Kookaburras. (Lee)

More Creation Moments articles:

Interesting Things

What is the Gospel?

Birds in Hymns – Sweet Is The Memory Of Thy Grace

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) eating by Jim Fenton

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) eating by Jim Fenton

They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. (Psalms 145:7 KJV)

Sweet Is The Memory Of Thy Grace

Words by Isaac Watts, The Psalms of Da­vid, 1719.

Music: Her­mann, by Ni­ko­laus Her­mann, 1560

Sweet Is The Memory Of Thy Grace

Sweet is the memory of Thy grace,
My God, my heav’nly King;
Let age to age Thy righteousness
In sounds of glory sing.

God reigns on high, but not confines
His goodness to the skies;
Through the whole earth His bounty shines,
And every want supplies.

With longing eyes Thy creatures wait
On Thee for daily food;
Thy liberal hand provides their meat,
And fills their mouths with good.

How kind are Thy compassions, Lord!
How slow Thine anger moves!
But soon He sends His pardoning word
To cheer the souls He loves.

Creatures with all their endless race
Thy power and praise proclaim;
But saints that taste Thy richer grace
Delight to bless Thy Name.


See More Birds in Hymns

Words from Net Hymnal

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That’s a Fact – Evolution In Action & On The Origin of Dogs

Here is an interesting video from the Institute of Creation Research. Thought I’d share it.

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Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31 NKJV)

Also an interesting article about the Origin of Dogs. Love those dogs as well as birds. Here’s an excerpt.

“On the Origin of Dogs
by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

Overall, there are more dogs than children in American and British households.1 Dogs have become a huge part of humans’ lives. How and when did they get here?

Chromosomes show that “the domestic dog, Canislupus familiaris, is a grey wolf.” Additional DNA studies provide “strong evidence” that all dog breeds descended from a wolf population that was domesticated in southern East Asia. Dogs, wolves, coyotes, and foxes can interbreed, so they represent the created dog kind. Over 230 dog breeds have been defined in the 4,300 or so years of post-Flood history.

In his 300 B.C. book Historiae Animalium, Aristotle listed the dog separately from the wolf and fox. But University of Otago archaeologist Helen Leach wrote that “systematic breeding only emerged within the past 300 years.”

Over 200 breeds were produced in only 300 years? That doesn’t fit with evolution’s theory of gradual change, in which new features are supposedly favored by natural selection over vast time periods. A recent experiment proved that dogs most likely changed in just a few generations through pre-designed genetic programming and intentional breeding……

To see the rest of the article – Origin of Dogs

From Acts & Facts – January 2012

Sharing The Gospel

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Birds of the Bible – God’s Providence To His Creatures

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) being raised by a Reed Warbler©WikiC

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) being raised by a Reed Warbler©WikiC

The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. (Psalms 145:9 NKJV)

The following thoughts and verses are from R. A.Torrey’s Topical Textbook under the category of The Providence of God.

Preserving His creatures:

Lilian's Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae) by Africaddict

Lilian's Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae) by Africaddict

You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. (Nehemiah 9:6 NKJV)

Northern Cardinal by Aestheticphotos

Northern Cardinal by Aestheticphotos

Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O LORD, You preserve man and beast. (Psalms 36:6 NKJV)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) by Nikhil Devasar

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) by Nikhil Devasar

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. (Matthew 10:29 NKJV)

Providing for His creatures:

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) flock ©USFWS

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) flock ©USFWS

These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. (Psalms 104:27-28 NKJV)

Western Great Egret (Ardea alba) With Fish by AestheticPhotos

Western Great Egret (Ardea alba) With Fish by AestheticPhotos

Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalms 136:25 KJV)

Northern Raven (Corvus corax) by Ray

Northern Raven (Corvus corax) by Ray

He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. (Psalms 147:9 KJV)

Seashore at MacDill AFB by Lee

Seashore at MacDill AFB by Lee

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26 NKJV)

Lee’s addition:

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) ©WikiC

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) ©WikiC

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:33-34 NKJV)

Louisiana Weeps….

Louisiana Weeps…  – Video by a j mithra

With all the oil that is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico, at this point, Louisiana is taking a direct hit. a j mithra, who lives in India and has seen the destruction of their birds has made the following video. He told me he wept while making the video. Since he is one of our writers, I am posting it here also.

It is hard to watch not only the birds, but all of the wildlife and the people who are being harmed by this oil spill. Our hearts and prayers go out to those whose lives are being so greatly affected. Unfortunately, we are all under the curse and this is just one more example of it. One this is certain, this oil spill did not catch God by surprise.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:18-23 KJV)

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