Flee Like A Bird One day, as Sheba, my Rott/Lab cross, and I walked down my driveway, our tabby cat

darted in front of us towards the barn with something in his mouth. "Look," I told Sheba, "Sammy must have caught a mouse. Let's go congratulate him." Peering into the barn at Sammy, I saw he had something trapped under his paws. Just then, he let it loose and a little brown bird fluttered up, trying to escape, but Sammy jumped up, caught the bird again, and firmly held it with his claws. "Oh, no," I told Sheba, "Sammy has caught a poor little bird!" Saddened, I wanted to rescue the little bird, knowing Sammy would eat him, but thought it was probably too late, so I walked away from the barn. Seconds later, I was startled when the frightened brown bird whizzed by my hip, headed straight like an arrow for the bushes on the other side of the driveway, with hungry gray Sammy chasing a few feet behind it, and with big black Sheba just a step behind him! To my delight, the bird (and Sammy) escaped. This episode reminded me that there are times when we should run for our lives, not fight with an enemy or negotiate with an adversary. For example, the Bible warns us to flee false teachers; fornication (sex outside of marriage); idolatry; desires to be rich; and youthful lusts. Many have stood and fought in these situations, only to find themselves caught in traps of sin and destruction. It's not worth it - run! We live in dangerous times, where our historical Christian faith is under attack. We face a spiritual battle where it is sometimes right to stand and fight, but we need to be aware that there are situations where we need to flee. John the Baptist illustrated this when some religious leaders came to him at the Jordan River. He told them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" He then advised them, "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance." (Mt. 3:7-8) I believe this warning applies to much of the church in America today because we have forgotten that disobedience brings the wrath of God. Paul says, "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." (Eph. 5:6) The "things" he refers to are sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking, all of which he later summarized as the "unfruitful works of darkness". I fear that many in the church have gotten in bed with the world, having the same desires, using the same methods, living the same kind of lives. This isn't surprising, since there is so little emphasis on repentance, a change of heart that results in a change of direction in a person's life, which drives people to live for Jesus instead of self. Instead of a call to holiness, we hear "empty words", telling us how to be happy, healthy, wealthy and self fulfilled. The focus is on man instead of God. No wonder we see the same problems in the church that we see in the world. Paul warned the Ephesians and us by saying, "Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord." (Eph. 5:7-10) Instead of being "partners" with the world, emulating its methods and embracing its values, we need to fall on our faces, crying out for spiritual discernment, seeking God's will for our lives, asking Him what pleases Him. This calls for a radical change of policy in our lives. Instead of passively accepting the status quo that has been passed down to us in our families and churches, we need to search the Scriptures to discover God's plan for our lives. God says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than you thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9) If you want to escape the wrath to come, you will have to flee like a bird from the trap of this world.