Are you an Eagle...or have you hung ‘em up before your time?...

How many times have we said to ourselves, “If only I knew 30 years ago
what I know now...my whole life would have taken a different turn.”
Personally, I can think of many unfruitful (dumb) things that I did in the
past...plus the many devastating decisions that I made early in my life, even after I
was “born again.”
I have worn out many pairs of shoes in kicking myself over and over
again when I think about it. But even though through the years I have gained
much wisdom through trial and error and some “revelation,” I say to myself,
“I’m too far down the road to put it into good use, anyway. I’ve run out of
time.”
As Christians, many of us will say, “At my age I no longer have the
strength nor the stamina to mount yet another frontal attack on “the Devil and
the world, and produce a great harvest of souls. My time is gone and the jig
is up. I’m history. Perhaps it is time to start thinking about how to spend
my “golden years” instead.”
THAT’S HOGWASH. I’m convinced that from Day One my Father in Heaven has
always had a plan to greatly use His spiritually hungry servants at that
time in life when we are most usable...at the appointed time when maturity,
steadfastness, and productive understanding of the working of the Kingdom of
God is at its peak. Hey, I’m not talking about recycling...I’m talking about
physical rejuvenation...and it can be ours!
In recent years, I have heard over and over again that in the end times,
the energetic young Christians will be the ones to reach out and bring in
the final great harvest of souls. Amen! Roger that! I believe that young
folks full of God and fire will make a formidable army. But youth alone without
spiritual maturity in the things of God...and unaware of how the Kingdom
operates...will not hold up well against what is already coming against the
CHURCH of Jesus Christ in these latter days.
What I DO believe is that the spiritually mature (and “older”)
members of the body of Christ will be the agents that will produce the great
harvest. But, you ask, how can you even suggest that those who are past their
prime years will be physically able to stand tough in time of tribulation?
My answer? I don’t have a clue. But FatherGod does!
Moses was 120 years old and still healthy, sassy and kickin’ when he was
forced to finally hang ‘em up due to disobedience. He was virtually
physically perfect because he had developed a really tight relationship with God
and drew from HIS strength, vitality, and longevity. He and his Creator had
become ONE!...and we should do the same. God will rub off on you if you get
close enough, often enough.
FatherGod would have us to forget about the “golden years” of decline
and concentrate on His beautiful and powerful GOLDEN EAGLE. Please listen!
There is a tremendous parallel between how God’s Eagle renews his strength and
his life...and how our own youth can be renewed like the Eagle’s (Psalm
103:1). There is a strong message here for all of us who are long in years and
still raring to go, but who believe that we have run out of gas/out of
breath.
The Bible references the mighty Eagle 34 times, from Leviticus to
Revelation (trust me, I counted for myself). If the Kingdom of Heaven had an
official mascot, this bird would be second only to the dove of the Holy Spirit.
Throughout the Scriptures, the Eagle is referred to as beautiful, swift,
powerful, unwavering, loyal and compassionate to its family. This bird is
also highly efficient, victorious over its enemies, and preferring to
frequent high places. But as it gets older, the Eagle begins to lose its
magnificence, as time takes its toll. Its feathers become tattered, its sharp beak
becomes dull, and its stamina takes a nose dive. But then, by design, God’s
great miracle begins to happen! Rejuvenation!
It has been documented by Ornithologists and other committed
bird-watchers that in its latter years, God’s DNA within the Eagle “kicks in” and
the exhausted bird will search for a higher refuge on a mountaintop in order
to undergo a most exciting and extraordinary transformation.
Acknowledging its growing limitations, the Eagle begins to pluck its
feathers off systematically, until it is naked, unable to fly and totally
vulnerable. It is then that the bird totally trusts its Creator for supernatural
protection from predators. But that’s not all.
The bird will also yank and pull until its beak falls off. It is now
totally defenseless but it relies on its instinctive faith that He who created
him will see him safely through this metamorphosis. He knows deep inside
that God will never leave him nor forsake him. Sound familiar?
In time, this bird will push out magnificent new feathers, and a new
razor-sharp beak will protrude through his flesh. His strength and stamina will
return supernaturally, and the mighty, magnificent Eagle will once again
take to the wind as he did when he was young.
But here’s the real kicker: even though the bird is now as physically
strong as he ever was...he’s now also full of the wisdom and “savvy” that
only comes from spending countless time in high places, close to His Maker.
This is in addition to gaining priceless experience in the natural realm!
In his new life (“born again”) the Eagle will make very few mistakes
and will become what he’s designed to be: more than a conqueror and virtually
unstoppable!
Even as I write this, my spirit is doing somersaults and my skin is
tingling as “revelation” flows. I love to write when it’s not me that’s doing
the writing.
Please listen as I say this: What FatherGod does for the mighty Eagle is
a type and shadow of what He will do for you and I! (and He has promised to
do it) He will give us new life and a thundering second wind of the Holy
Spirit. I just know it! I just feel it!
He did it for Elijah. He did it for Abraham and Sarah. He did it for
Moses. He did it for Joshua and Caleb.
He’s done it for Billy Graham. He did it for Oral Roberts. He’s done it
for Kenneth Copeland. The list is endless.
But the common denominator for all these guys has been an intimate and
totally uncompromising personal relationship with FatherGod. I’m talkin’
about a one-on-one eternal love affair that takes priority over anything and
absolutely everything ( the real stuff).
I heard a guy say the other day that there is a pronounced physical
effect of GRACE on your body, even as you grow older. He also stated that your
physical condition will reflect your spiritual condition. Amen to that! But
you have to believe this miracle and receive it!

A couple of months ago, I had to renew my life insurance for the final
time, and a nurse showed up at my home to do the usual series of tests. I
will not tell you how old I am because you won’t believe me (besides that,
that’s my business).
For some time prior to this, I had several issues with my body health,
including high cholesterol and serious high blood pressure, among other
symptoms of my physical maturity. In the natural, I knew that my insurance
premium at this point in my life would not only jump sky-high, but I would also
receive less coverage. That’s the way this game is played.
But rather, I had already opted to live under the supernatural care of
God some time before this. With my lightening-fast mind I concluded that if
God made me, then He can fix me.
The nurse was a very nice lady as I filled out all the forms and she
opened up her little medical suitcase full of stainless steel gadgets that
would make even Godzilla nervous. She was very efficient and when she had
finished, she looked at me for a minute and then double-checked the forms,
especially my age.
Then she began to do the tests all over again as if to authenticate the
first findings. I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to do the “urine in the
paper cup” thing again because frankly, after you’ve done it once, it’s not
much fun anymore. Finally, she started to pack her gear and said, “Mister
Gonzalez, you’re good to go!” I wasn’t sure what that meant. It could mean:
(1) I was okay; or (2) I was about ready to croak (good to go?).
Three days later I got a call from my Life Insurance Agent, who happens
to be my cousin. He was holding in his hand the final results of the exam as
he exclaimed: “Robert, it normally takes at least 10 days for an evaluation
of these kind of tests to be completed. But your tests were completed in
just 3 days...and the final verdict was that you are in perfect health (and
also, I don’t take any medicines of any kind). Robert, the readouts were
dead-on normal. They couldn’t find anything at all wrong with you. Zero. Nada.”
There was a pause and then he continued: “I have been authorized to offer
you a million dollar life insurance policy at a very reasonable cost.”
Is anything impossible with FatherGod? NOPE. Listen, we aren’t waiting
on Him...He’s waiting on us to simply RECEIVE all that Jesus provided for us
at the Cross. It’s called radical, uncompromised GRACE!
I know from first hand experience that the awesome presence of God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit “quickens” my mortal body. It
happens to me (and certainly to others) over and over again. Late at night
when I’m in prayer (and praise & worship) after a long and exhaustive day, I
can literally feel my flesh come alive. I’m no longer debilitated, wearied
and worn. I feel young again, and I start looking for some devil to “whup
up” on. This stuff is real, folks!
It’s all really quite amazing. In fact, when it’s time to go to bed
after spending time with my FatherGod, I’m so pumped up with Jesus that I have
to stop and watch an old movie in order to slowly come back to earth and
fall asleep.
But it’s important that I make something clear: all of this
“rebuilding” of the human body that the Scripture promises is contingent on one thing:
a super-close, one-on-one life relationship with FatherGod; a total
surrender and commitment to Him as we gravitate to higher places to enter His realm
every single day (it’s easier for me because God and I are both Hispanic).
Jesus did it. If it worked for Him, it’ll work for you and I.
Come to think of it, this applies to every great and wonderful blessing
that the Creator has promised in His wonderful Word. Part-time “born again”
Christianity will get us into Heaven but that’s not enough if we want to
bring Heaven to Earth and live a successful life right here. I just want to be
blessed so that I can bless others bigtime.
Let me finish by saying that I’m one of these people that is convinced
that if we have not yet entered into the “last days,”...we’re about to. My
Father in Heaven is preparing an army of “savvy,” mature warriors that will
ravage the planet and bring in an unprecedented harvest of people into the
Kingdom!
And there’s no way I’m going to be left out. I can feel the new
feathers comin’ on as my lips are speaking His mighty Word! With my big brother
Jesus always standing behind me, I can do no wrong! No way.
But in all of this, I have to be careful. The last thing in the world
that I want to do is sound Eagle-tistical.

---Bless the Lord O my soul...who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender
mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is
renewed like the eagle’s. -Psalm 103:1
---Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary...” -Isaiah
40:31

If you practice the things of God, your body will eventually begin to
cooperate with you. --John G. Lake