Thunderheads rolled ominously over the Western hills, as the lightning bolts streaked across the sky. In a lush green valley below, two birds together in a barn lot reacted in different ways. Appearing similar in some ways, the birds were actually different as day and night. The chicken, with her head down and her beak busy in the trash of the barnyard, stepped up her pace as she scratched among the debris and filth searching for grubworms, scraps, and bits of corn. Knowing that time was short, and that she would soon have to take refuge in the safety of the barn, she worked frantically to get a meal before the full fury of the storm struck.

Quite strange was the appearance and actions of the other bird. He sat on a fence post, his head lifted to the sky and his sharp piercing eyes searching among the clouds. He stretched his wings lazily, and gusts of wind almost lifted him from his perch. It was a thrilling sight to see the magnificent wingspread, and it was easy to see that the feathers of his wings that had once been clipped back to prevent him from flying away, had once again grown to their full length. It was obvious that this bird was not a chicken.

On a mountain peak far above the farm, the farmer had taken an egg from the nest of an eagle. He had placed it under a sitting hen and hatched it out with a brood of little chickens. With much patience he had raised it and tried to tame it and make a domestic bird of it. But from the very first it had not fit in with the routine of the chicken lot. It walked alone, for it found no fellowship with the other little chicks nor the hen. And though from the day it had hatched out it had known no environment but the domestic life around it, yet from deep within something of the wild, free nature of the eagle cried out that this was not "home." As it grew larger, its wings had been clipped. Unable to fly, it sat in the barnyard daily, looking upward ... its body confined to the earth, but its heart in the sky. Not knowing why, unable to explain, yet knowing that there was a constant call from within to rise to greater heights in heavenly places above.

The young eagle stretched, the wings the farmer had failed to keep clipped, and as he did so his eyes caught sight of another great eagle riding the storm clouds. At that moment his ears caught the sound of a sharp piercing cry from the eagle in the sky. Suddenly a gust of wind caught under his outstretched wings and lifted him from the post. With a scream of victory and freedom, he left the barn lot forever and soared into the sky to meet those of his own kind.

I hope you can see what I am getting at. I'm not the least bit interested in eagles or any other kind of birds just for their own sake. And neither is God, but He sure has a lot to say about eagles in the Bible. And what He has to say is very significant in relation to His saints, the Body of Christ, those who are called to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Eagles are symbolic of a certain type of person. "But they that wait upon the Lord ... shall mount up with wings as eagles" (Isaiah 40:31). The mounting up process is important and necessary to the sons of God who are to be conformed to the image of the Son of God and rule and reign with Him forever. But it only comes to those who will wait in His presence until the glory that shine from His face changes them from the image of the earthly into the image of their heavenly King.

Chickens are also symbolic of people. The only time chickens are referred to in the Bible, Jesus used them as a type of those people in Jerusalem who could not hear His message nor heed His call. They travelled in crowds, in broods, and they were earthbound. They kept their eyes upon the things of this world, scratching out a bare existence, and never lifted their heads to see Him who is from above. They ate the handouts that were cast to them, and searched greedily in the crowded barn lot for more to fill their bellies. For the chicken is by nature an unclean bird, and will eat dead things and unspeakable filth. They are bound to their existence on the right and on the left by fences, and are satisfied.

But not the eagle. For he has inherited a nature that cannot and will not survive in the confining captivity of the barnyard fowl. To be happy and to fulfill his purpose in life, he must be free to soar in the wide open spaces among the clouds of heaven. It seems lonely up there, for there are not many who will dare to rise to such heights, but the eagle does not care, for it is not in his nature to mingle with the multitudes or the majority.

There is much we can learn about our heavenly calling as we consider what the Bible says about eagles. Deuteronomy 32:11 tells us how the young eagle gets his introduction to the practice of soaring in the heavens. Let the eagle saints hear carefully. It says that the mother eagle "Stirs up her nest" - "flutters over her young" - "spreads abroad her wings" and "bears them on her wings." The time has come when the young eagle must leave the nest and strike out on his own.

But looking down from the dizzy heights of the mountain peak, he is not ready to begin such a new and dangerous enterprise. He has "not passed this way before," and is reluctant to start out. So the mother eagle begins making things uncomfortable for him in the nest. The nest is so soft, so safe, so comfortable, and he is satisfied to remain there. None of this business of "trying out your wings" for him. So the mother eagle "stirs up the nest." She tears up his soft bed, breaks the twigs until the jagged ends stick out. In other words, she begins to make life very miserable for him in the place that had once seemed so nice.

Does it seem that God is dealing harshly with you? Is He tearing up your soft, comfortable nest? Does the place in God that once met such a need in your life now seem rough, tight, and uncomfortable? What is happening? The Lord is getting ready to push you off to heights that you never dreamed of. Do the jagged edges of that which was once such a comfort to you now stab you with grief and pain? Have you been wondering what the trouble was, and perhaps doubt that you were even in the will of God? Doubt no longer, but expect in faith for the next great work of God to come forth in your life. It is not the wrath of God trying to destroy you. It is the love and wisdom of our God making you willing to take another big step in the plan and purpose of God for His Church. We, by nature, love security. So the Lord has to make us utterly sick of our "nest" in order to make us willing to launch out into pioneer spiritual journeys in the heavenlies.

Still the young eagle does not leave the torn up nest. So the mother eagle begins to "flutter over her young." In other words, she begins beating him with her wings. the wings under which he once hid from all danger now have become his greatest enemy, it seems. What a terrible turn of events! To escape those terrible wings, he climbs to the side of the nest, and as she spreads her wings abroad, he hops upon her back. Where she goes now, he will go. For the nest has ceased to be the safe, warm home it once was. See the mother eagle as she soars high into the sky, with the little eagle hanging on for dear life. High up above the clouds she goes, and suddenly, without warning, she dives out from under the little eagle, leaving him hanging on to nothing. He screams with fear as he tumbles through the air, but instinctively his wings stretch out and begin trying to catch the air.

Down, down, down, he falls as his untried wings fail to function enough to hold him up. When it looks like all hope is lost and he is about to crash on the rocks below, the mother eagle swoops under him and bears him up on her wings. What a relief! Back into the heights of heaven they soar ... on her wings. But just as he thinks all is well and he is sitting on the top of the world, the bottom drops out again. This time his wings begin to operate a little better, become a little stronger. Until finally he learns how to catch the currents of air and soar by himself, needing no longer the mother to catch him from falling.

But sometimes a little eagle is taken from the nest and refuses to fly. He will not try his wings. He just waits each time until the mother eagle catches him and bears him back unto the heavens on her wings. Time and again the process is repeated until the mother eagle is convinced that there is no hope for him, that she cannot teach him to launch out on her own. Now if he were a chicken, someone would watch over him, feed him, protect him. Not so the eagle. Either he learns to soar for himself, or he starves to death, or becomes a prey of wild beasts. Knowing this, the mother eagle takes him high into the heavens for one last ride. The with a wild screech of pain and disappointment, she dives out from under him and flies away, leaving him to drop to his death on the rocks far below.

Eagle saints have a special training all their own. The flutter of His wings make us think sometimes that He is going to beat us to death. But the Bible says that if we do not receive His chastisement, it is a good sign that we are not His sons. When we are finally willing to leave the nest, trusting completely upon Him, then He takes us into heights of glory never before experienced. Well, everything seems to be wonderful, and we are rejoicing in our new and glorious experiences. Then suddenly the bottom drops out, and he is not there. As we drop from the dizzying heights of glory to the depths of gloom and despair, we flop our feeble wings desperately and unsuccessfully, and wonder why God has left us to perish like this.

Suddenly, He is there! And as He bears us on eagles' wings back into the heavens, our strength and joy returns - only to find that the process must be repeated. Over and over, until finally we find ourselves able to use our God given "wings" and be sustained on high by the power of His strength within.

But some refuse to move into this realm. They rebel against the processing of God. They resent being placed in the furnace of fire. They love the nest on high, the safety of His wings, but they despise the chastening, the disciple, the necessity of learning to stand alone in the heavenlies. He is patient. He is longsuffering. He works with them, giving them chance after chance. But some will not learn, will not yield their rebellious spirits to His will. So He finally leaves them to fall to destruction on the craggy rocks of a carnal earthly nature.

You have seen them, and so have I. And I have wondered how that those who once soared among the stars could have fallen so low and come to such an end. How could some who have had such revelation, such marvelous gifts and ministries, have come to the place where they could accept such heretical doctrines of devils? Or cheapen their ministry and sell out the gift of God for fame and fortune? It has happened, and you know it. It does not make the true revelation of the Spirit any less true. Nor does it take away from the reality of the gift God had given them.

It would have been better if they had remained as chickens, in the safety of the barn lot. But they had prayed to be eagles, and God answered. But the tests had brought out the rebellious nature that would not submit wholly to the dealings and discipline of the Holy Ghost. And they fell. Now a chicken may fall off his roost, or off the chicken house, but he never falls far. For he never rises to great heights. But when an eagle falls, he falls a long way and is seen by many. But it is necessary, for there must be no rebels among those who make their nests on the tops of the mountains and soar above the storm clouds.

Those who rule with Christ must rule from the heavens. For that is where the throne is. The chicken yard is very confining. You can go so far, and no farther. The Plymouth Rocks stay in the Plymouth Rock pens, and the Rhode Island Reds remain in their allotted place. It would be scandalous if Farmer Brown's hen slipped over to Farmer Jones' and ate his corn, or laid their eggs in the wrong place. It doesn't matter if you are in the Methodist pen, or Baptist, or Pentecostal, or whatever. You may cackle and crow about the advantages in your particular chicken yard over the others, but just be sure and remain within your set confines.

Not so the eagles. No chicken yard could hold him. Put him in a cage and he will wither and die. He can only find happiness in the freedom of the uncovered heavens. There is lots of room where the eagles gather. Truth flows like a mighty river. No creeds, bylaws, or rigid statement of beliefs to separate the Body of Christ. Sweet fellowship with all who dwell in this place, and no divisive man-made boundaries exist. Heavenly worship, gifts of the Spirit, and glorious deliverances are the order of the day here. The dull monotonous routine of a "chicken yard" religious system is forever a thing of the past for those who rise on wings of eagles into this place of God.

What a variety of glorious treasures in the Holy Ghost there are for those who dare to believe, and who "are called according to His purpose." The time is at hand, the call is going forth. Turn loose every hindrance of earth and cast aside every weight, and rise with the wings of eagles into heavenly places where you belong!

See the chickens, how they scurry about hunting for shelter when the storm breaks. Huddling together in their misery, hoping their shelter won't crash down on them, fearing every lightning streak and thunderbolt. Pity those who cannot find shelter, perhaps doomed to death by drowning or hail.

Not so the eagle. The very same storm that pounds upon the poor earthbound creatures, produces the violent winds that lifts the eagle effortlessly above the storm clouds. Revelation 12:12 speaks of both classes when it says: "Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!" Yes, the storm is breaking, and its full fury will fall upon those who have not known the way of the eagle.

God is delivering many today from their earthbound existence, lifting them by the Holy Ghost into heavenly places in Christ. Things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. They do not fear the storm. The same persecution and tribulation that shall bring great travail upon a dead, backslidden church filled with earthly efforts, shall cause the eagle saints to soar to heights never before attained by man since Jesus set the example.

The place in the heavenlies which we are to inherit, is now occupied by demons, principalities and powers, a place they usurped from Adam. From this place they are "rulers of the darkness of this world." But God has purposed to bring forth a people that will ascend or be caught up to this place and cast Satan and his army down. Jesus did it, but he purposed not to be alone in this. He was planted as a living seed that should bring forth a great harvest in His likeness.

The eagle is noted for great vision. And so are eagle saints. They can believe for things that others, whose eyes are riveted to things of earth, cannot even see, or conceive of. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). But there is vision with the eagle saints. They are the pioneers of faith that break through to new realms in the Spirit