Do Not Be A Vulture!!

On October 16 while looking up scriptures about eagles I ran across the following scripture. Matthew 24:28, "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather" (New American Standard Bible). This caught my attention and I knew that I needed to study this out.

First, let's look at what a vulture is. According to Britannica, there are 22 species of vultures but Spruce.com reports 23 species worldwide. "Vultures will attack prey that is extremely sick, wounded or infirm if the food source is scarce and there are no carcasses nearby", (The Spruce, 2020). "A group of vultures is sometimes known as a 'committee', a 'venue', or a 'volt'. When flying together they are a 'kettle' when feeding together on a dead animal they are called a 'wake' the same word applied to a gathering in observance of someone who has died (Newsweek.com, 2020). When threatened, vultures vomit to lighten their body weight so they can escape more easily into flight. Vomiting also serves as a defense mechanism to deter predators that may be threatening the birds" (The Spruce.com 2020).

This year has brought about so much death and destruction that we will not soon forget 2020. Many forms of evil have been uncovered in our nation and around the world. The world is feasting on dead things. The sins that run ramped in our society today are breeding death. The lies that are told, are death. The killing of innocents is surely death. The torture of men, women, and children in the human trafficking market is death. The pedophilia movement is death. That death is being ingested as it is brought forth from the media, as people participate in these acts, and as they are taught to our children in schools and entertainment. Those that feast on these things are vultures, consuming things that do not bring life. We have seen the vultures gather BUT, be weary of picking those people apart. it is all too easy to join in the feast. Ingesting those dead things will have you speaking dead words.

We learned that vultures will also prey on weak or infirm animals if there is a lack of death. Listen, it is easy to see what is happening in the world. The ones who deny Jesus and His ways spread lies, vomit on what is good in order to defend evil and escape the consequences, and will continue to eat the evil ways of death unless they see the truth. They are wounded. They have believed the lies of the enemy and have been caught up in that 'committee' of vultures. Let us not join them by attacking them when they are weak. They need truth but they are not the enemy. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" Ephesians 6:12 (NASB).

The church has long pointed fingers and judged those in sin but failed to keep the sin from entering our nation in order to safeguard truth. We have failed to watch the walls and guard entry. We have failed to love unconditionally. We did not stand for what was right.

Leviticus 19:17, "You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him" (NASB). Do not fall into hatred and judgment because of another's sin.

What is the answer? We are meant to eat of the bread of life. John 6:31-40, "31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’ ” 32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

We are meant to bring life not to pick apart the dead and join in the feast. We must stand for what is right but remember in so doing that sin is of the enemy and we are to hate sin but love our neighbor. Cry out for their souls. Repent on their behalf.

This scripture has surfaced multiple times over the last several months, "and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land" II Chronicles 7:14 (NASB). This is what must happen.

John 8:32, "and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (NASB). The world needs to know the truth. They need the light of God. If the world has lost its flavor, who's fault is that?

Matthew 5:13, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men" (NASB).

God is calling us to a higher standard than what we have been living. He is calling us to repentance. He is calling us to declare the truth. He is calling us to love unconditionally and to forgive even when justice needs to be served. God will judge what is good and fair. God is a god of justice. He is righteous, and just and He shows us mercy and grace, praise Him for that. I thank God for his mercy and I pray that I can rise to the occasion by His Spirit.