The Baby Eagle Message

By Arthur Ward

The story is told of a chicken that somehow found the egg of an eagle.

Believing the egg was hers the chicken set on it until finally one day, the little eaglet hatched out.

 The mama chicken was so disappointed, because, needless to say, it just didn't look like the other chickens.

 As far as all the other chickens were concern this was the ugliest chicken they had ever seen.

 Oftentimes the other chickens would make fun by saying,  “I've seen ugly before but you are undoubtly the ugliest chicken in the world!”

 That baby eagle became so conditioned by its surroundings.  Life was miserable.

 He was constantly reminded he was a misfit!

 Over and over he suffered abuse because he was different!

 But did you know that among the many superior God given abilities of an eagle, one is that it has the keen ability to see great distances.  The eagle can see miles and miles away.

 Often times while all the chickens were running around, pecking the ground or each other, the baby Eagle would be over by the fence looking towards the mountain.

 One day while in his despair, he lifted up his head towards the heavens, and there in the distance, miles and miles from that old chicken pen he saw something soaring in the air.

It was the most beautiful bird he had ever seen!  His heart began to race.  For the first time in his life he felt excitement like he had never known.

One of the chickens came over to him and said, "Hey ugly, what are you looking at."

The eagle now taller and gawky looking, says, "I see something up there in the sky "

The chicken asked, "Where?" "Over there by those mountains!” replied the Baby Eagle.

The chicken said, "I don't see anything.

The eagle said, "It's right over there! It has big wings it's the most gorgeous bird I have ever seen in my life!"

The chicken tries to see it again, but he can't see that far because he is a chicken.

Everyday that little eagle would go to the edge of the chicken pen, and just stare up in the sky towards the mountain!

And every day he would wait for hours to see that big Eagle soaring in the sky!

The chickens never saw it because they were chickens.

And when that big eagle would soar around that mountain and come into view, something would happen every time to that little eagle on the ground!

His heart would beat faster!  He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but he was afraid to!  He wanted so much to imitate that big eagle.

One day while watching those huge wings all stretched out just gliding upon the wind, the little eagle said, "Wouldn't it be just great if I could just spread my wings like that!"

All of a sudden the little eagle began to imitate the motions of the big eagle.

Caught up in the moment, he stretch out his wings and to his surprise they were so big.

So big, that all the other chickens laughed at him.  So big that he was totally embarrassed.  So big that he felt humiliated.  So big that all the other chickens called him names.

Days and days past and the little Eagle never unfolded his wings.  Humiliated by the chickens he felt so ashamed and embarrassed.

One day while soaring on the wind, the big eagle looking across the country side and notice something he never seen before way down there in the chicken pen.

Over against the fence was what looked like a baby eagle.  Before it was just chickens in a chicken pen, but the Big Eagle thought, I'm going to get a closer look.

With a slight tilt of his huge wing still hundreds of feet in the air he flew over towards the chicken pen.

The little Eagle is watching all the time.  The little Eagle sees the big eagle coming his way, and becomes so excited he can't hold it in anymore!!

The little Eagle for the first time begins to scream to the top of his voice.  For the first time in his life, he begins to jump higher than the fence.

For the first time all the chickens are chicken.  His humiliators, his accusers, those who have made life miserable for him, they're over in the corner against the fence thinking that the ugliest chicken in the whole world has just gone bananas!!

The misfit is jumping and flopping his wings!  The Baby Eagle is screaming.  The big Eagle soaring over ahead screams so loud that the chickens are thinking it is all over for them.

The big Eagle says to the little Eagle, "Hey!  What are you doing down there in that chicken yard?"  The little Eagle says, "This is where I live, I'm a chicken!"  The big Eagle said, "You are not a chicken, you are an Eagle!"  “No, I was hatched here in this chicken pen, I'm a chicken!"

You are not a chicken.  You don't even look like a chicken.

Look at yourself, look at your beak.  It's not made for pecking in the dirt.  It was made to eat fresh meat!  Look at your feet man!  Those feet are not chicken feet, they are not for scratching in the dirt for your food, you are an Eagle!

Look at those wings!  God gave you those wings so you could soar to higher heights!!

Come on stretch those wings and fly!!  OK maybe I am an eagle, but I have never flown!

The big Eagle says, “Oh but today is your day!  Just start jumping and waving those wings you can fly!”  "I can't seem to get it all together," cried the little eagle.

Hey little Eagle you may not know it but there is a wind blowing your way!  If you will just turn around and face the wind stretch those wings out and jump, the wind will pick you up.

It wasn't long until the little eagle stretched out those wings of glory and God sent the Holy wind of the Spirit and lifted that Little Eagle out of the chicken pen!  And the little Eagle was heaven bound!!

Many of us today are so much like that little Eagle, we may feel as though we have been hatched in the wrong nest.

We may have grown up in the chicken pen.  But there is a wind blowing!  Turn around and face it!  Face the pressure!  Open your Gods given wings of ability; they will lift you out of your trouble!  You're not a chicken you're an Eagle!!

I said Lord; outwardly there are those who are going through the motions of a believer.  They look like good believers, they look like real Christians, and they mimic the ways of a believer

But something is missing, and the answers are not coming!  Now here it is!  God put His finger right on!

Galatians 3 & 26 says, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

 Too often faith is hindered, not because we do believe in God, not because we do not believe a supreme being exist, but Faith is hindered because, we failed to learn who we are!

 Here's the Key, "WHO ARE YOU??"

 It easy to believe in a God, but can you believe that you are His Child? 

 I know the Bible says, Hebrews 11 & 6 “For he that cometh to God must believe that He is,"

But just who is it that is coming to Him?  Who are you?

John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, "

There is a question of identity that each and every one of us must deal with.  And that question is "WHO AM I?"

It is when we find out who we are that we gain precious insight to what our purpose in life is.

 How do we determine who we are?

Just for a moment can you imagine yourself living on a dessert island all alone, without ever having seen another individual, without ever having seen another human being?  It's just you and a coconut tree!!

Suddenly a voice comes out of heaven, and asks, "WHO ARE YOU?"  You would not have the slightest idea of how to answer the question!

And then a ship appears on the horizon and arrives at the island.  A man splashes up to the shore.  He runs to you, embraces you and shouts, "At Last, At Last, I have found my long lost child"!

"Who are you?" you ask.  I'm John Doe, and you are my son Pat Doe.  Once again the voice from heaven asks WHO ARE YOU?"

Now you know who you are.  Now you know the answer, I’m Pat Doe, John Doe's Son."

This illustration points out, that a person's identity is determined by his relationship to someone or something!

We so desperately want to know who we are, that too often we will attach ourselves to just about anything!

We determine our identities, through our appearance.  We dress a certain way.  We wear a certain color or style of clothing, because we want to be identified with a certain group!

We determine our identities through our occupation.  I'm a Truck Driver, I'm a Doctor, or I'm a Carpenter!  We determine our identities, through abilities; I'm a singer or an athlete.   We determine our identities, through family relationships.  I'm a mother or Dad!

We determine our identities, through our friends or through our denominational affiliation.  I'm a Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, or Catholic.  There are many other ways, we determine who we are.

However, the common denominator to all these human attempts to find identity is that they are all temporal.

They can change with the wind!  Temporal identities can change over night. 

Some want to be identified with their profession.  I'm a businessman, you say.  What happens if you get fired or retire?  Who are you then?

As a matter of fact statistics show, that a large percentage men die within two years of retirement!

Why?  Simple because, they no longer know who they are!

Some want to be identified, by the role they fulfill in life.  A woman might say, "I am a mother."  That is her Identity!  What happens when the children leave home?  Who is she then?

There is only one identity that cannot be taken away from you!!  One foundation that that cannot be shaken!  I AM A CHILD OF GOD!

Now you might be a "Child of God" who works in a business world or practices medicine, or plays sports, or serves as a mother or even a preacher.

But your true identity comes from your relationship with your God!  And knowing that you are a child of God is the only way anyone can experience true security and peace in this world!!

Our identity comes from who we are identified with.  When you were born into this world you were totally identified with Adam.

You were a lost sinner dead and in need of life.  That was your identity!  However, our identity can be changed, through faith in Jesus Christ!!

When we come to Christ by faith, God gives us a brand new Identity!  As children we can experience a personal relationship with God as our Father!

No longer do we need to live in fear of God!!

Romans 8:15

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

Romans 8:16

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"

 Your identity with Christ is not a side issue.  It is central to everything in your life!!

 If we do not know and have a grip on who we are, we will not have the confidence and the faith to go to Him for help when we need it the most!!

 If a voice came out of heaven and asked you WHO ARE YOU?  What would you say? What would your answer be?

 I hope your response would be I AM A CHILD OF GOD!  If it is not,, today you can experience a change in identity!!

 I John 3:1

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."

 Romans 8:14

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

 If you are not sure just who you are you can become a child of God right now.  Just pray this prayer from your heart.

"Father, it is written in Your Word,

that if I confess with my mouth Jesus as Lord,

and believe in my heart that You have raised Him from the dead, I shall be saved.

Therefore, Father, I confess that Jesus is Lord.

I receive Him, as Lord of my life right now.

I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead.

I renounced my past life of sin.

I thank you for, forgiving me of all my sin.

Right now I believe, Jesus is my Lord, and I am a new creation.

Old things have past away.  Now all things are become new in Jesus' name. 

Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer, and really meant it from your heart, then you are right now a child of God.

Romans 8:17

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

2 Corinthians 6:18

"And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

 I John 3:2

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

Revelation 21:7

"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. "

 In St. John chapter 1 and verse 12,

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"

 Galatians 3 and verse 26,

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."