You may be saying, “Ok Rick you’ve finally lost it. You think you’re a cheetah now? You need help!”
Well maybe I do need help but no I don’t think I’m an animal. There’s actually a point to this believe me and be patient as I break it down. Ultimately this post is going to have nothing to do with me nor with cheetahs…REALLY!
Ok, so the backstory…
So when my son was little we were outside walking along the road near our house. And like kids do he started to run ahead of us a little bit. We of course kept an eye on him and he wasn’t that far at all. All of a sudden a car came around the corner and the Dad in me went into panic mode and I ran as fast as I could to go grab my son before anything could happen. So once I had him in my arms his mother looked at me cracking up. Naturally I asked why she was laughing and she said, “I had no idea you could run that fast! You were like a cheetah!”
I never forgot that because it was really funny to me. Ok now you’re saying, “Cute story Rick but is your point coming soon because I have things to do!” Yes and thanks for bearing with me.
So my son’s Mom said that I seemed to run as fast as a cheetah could. That’s an exaggeration of course but the point was for that moment in her mind I was seemingly no longer human but as fast as one of the fastest animals on earth. Now did my body somehow morph into a 4 legged animal with spots? No of course not! The point was I was running really fast…
…LIKE A CHEETAH
…AS FAST AS A CHEETAH
…IN THE SAME MANNER AS A CHEETAH
…IN A WAY A CHEETAH WOULD
So my action reminded her of the way another creature does a similar action.
“Ok Rick I get it! What are you trying to say!” I’m getting there, trust me!
Am I a cheetah? NO! Do I walk on all fours? NO!
I simply did something in a similar way that something else does. Ok now that we have that established…
We can finally get to the point!
In Luke 3:22 we see that Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus LIKE a dove. Does it say that Holy Spirit is an actual dove? NO! Remember in Genesis when God said let US make man in OUR image? If Holy Spirit is a dove then why don’t we have beautiful white wings that can fly? People, He isn’t a white birdie! He is the third Person of the Godhead! Holy Spirit came down on Jesus…
…LIKE A DOVE
…AS GENTLE AS A DOVE
…IN THE SAME MANNER AS A DOVE
…IN A WAY A DOVE WOULD
Please don’t insult Him by thinking He is a bird flying around your church building on Sunday! He is not a bird! He’s a Person just like Jesus and the Father are!
Oh wait I’m not done! I got another one! The devil gets this kind of treatment too and he loves it!
In 1 Peter 5:8 we read that the devil walks around AS or LIKE a roaring lion. It never says he IS a roaring lion. The only lion I wanna know about the Lion of the tribe of Judah and in case you don’t know who that is it’s Jesus Himself! Isn’t it just like the devil though to try to steal a symbol used to represent our Lord for himself?
He likes to make himself look better and greater than he is but we see in Isaiah 14:16 that one day we will look at him and say, “Is THIS the one that made the nations tremble?” as if to say, “You gotta be kidding me! This little creature did all that? Him?”
Folks the devil is not a lion! He wishes he was that majestic king of the jungle! No, no in that verse Peter is simply saying that the devil’s strategy is the same as a lion’s. What’s that you ask? They hide and lay in wait for easy prey. If there’s a herd of animals passing by he will study the group and see which one looks the easiest to take out and then they pounce! That’s how the devil works. He grabs the weak ones first. But is the devil a lion? NO NO NO a million times NO! The enemy is not a lion at all but rather he is…
…LIKE A LION
…AS CUNNING AS A LION
…WORKS IN THE SAME MANNER AS A LION
…MOVES IN A WAY A LION WOULD
Perception is a big deal. Do not give the devil more credit than he deserves! And don’t insult Holy Spirit either by calling Him a passive little bird. He is God almighty just as much as Jesus and Daddy God is!
When we read the Bible we must pay attention to what it actually says and not put our own spin on it. God says what He means and means what He says! Oh that we would all be the same way!
So remember!
Rick is not a cheetah!
Holy Spirit is not a dove
And the devil is certainly NOT a lion!
AMEN IAM THE LION OF JUDAH IAM IAM IAM JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD GID COME FOWN TO EARTH IN HUMAN FORM HE WALKED AMONG US AND THE WORLD DID NOT GET IT…HE WAS DISPISED AMONG MEN BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES AND TOOK UPON ALL OF OUR SINS EVERY SECRET BAD THING WE DO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS THE THINGS YOU WOULD NEVET ADMIT TO YOUR FRIENDS IR FAMILY, HE KNOWS WHAT YOUR GOING TO DO OR SAY OR THINK BEFORE YOU DO.HE KNOWS THE NUMBER OF HAIRS ON YOUR HEAD AND SEES ALL THE SULENT TEARS YOU CRY…HE CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR YOUR BIGGEST FAN, YOUR HEALER, DELIVERER, PROVIDER. HE KNOWS EVERY THING ABOUT YOU….NO….I MEAN EVERY THING! .AND YET. HE STILL LOVES YOU, HE SUFFERED AND DIED AND TOOK UNEARTHLY BEATINGS WHIPPINGS TILL HIS TORN FLESH HUNG FROM HIS BODY, AND SUFFERED AND DIED AS HE TOOK UPON ALL THE SINS IF THE ENTIRE WORLD…EVERY MAN WOMAN AND CHILD EVER BORN AND NOT YET BORN, AND DIED AS GID THE FATHER TURNED HUS HEAD AWAY AS HIS BELOVED SON ACTUALLY BECAME SIN. AND THEN HE FUFILLED THE PROPHECY DESTROY THIS TEMPLE AND I WILL RAISE IT UP AGAIN. ..AND HERE S THE UNBELIEVABLE PART. ..IF YOU THE PERSON READING THIS WERE THE ONLY PERSON EVER BORN …HE WOULD HAVE COME AND DONE IT ALL AGAIN JUST. FOR. TOY, THAT S HOW MUCH HE LOVES YOU! GEY ALONE AND QUIET AND FORGET ALL YOU VE HEARD ABOUT HIM AND IF YOU DONT KNOW HIM, ASK HIM INTO YOUR HEART AFTER YOY SAY HOW SORRY YOU FOR ALL THE BAD THINGS YOU VE DONE SAID TO HURT ORHERS, MEAN IT IN YOUR HEART AND TELL GOD THAT U BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE SON IF GOD. ..HE WILL FOR GIVE EVER THING EVERY SIN EVERY SECRET DIRTY SHAME AND WASH YOU WITH HIS BLOOD.AND MAKE U A NEW CREATURE. YOY CAB HAVE A BRAND NEW START AND KNOW THAT WHEN YOU DIE YOY WILL BE IN GLORIOUS HEAVEN FOR ALL EYERNITY WITH PEOPLE WHO PRAYED THE SAME PRAYER AND LIVE FOR EVER YOUNG IN HIS GLORY HONOR AND TO HIS GLORIOUS PRAISE AND HAVE PEACE IN THE STORM NOW AND GLORY IN ETERNITY. …THE CHOICE IS YOURS…CHOOSE LIFE CHOOSE JESUS
HES REAL HE IS ALIVE AND HES COMING BACK SOON!