Daily Exercises

Exercising is a daily activity for the eagle. Flying, stretching, soaring, surveying with its eyes, flapping the wings, swooping with its talons, gripping with its beaks - these are the daily motions, that the eagle makes throughout its day.

The mind of man, man's wings - is likewise the same. We never go through a day without thinking, without thoughts, without using our minds to ponder, wonder and wander....man's minds churns and turns with each awakening, never still for a moment, always soaring, flying, pausing, swooping.

But, what does one's mind focus on? On what does it pause at to ponder? Do we focus on ourselves, our needs, our problems, our pleasures, our own desires all the time? Is it money, sex and power that dominate your thoughts? Where your heart is, there lies your treasure!

If our hearts and minds are focused on God, our Father, we will realise that our riches are unlimited. We have the heavens - an abundance in blessings, when we focus on the Kingdom! This is true and should be experienced by all.

The two key words are daily and exercises. The word `daily' suggests regularity and routine. The word `daily' also implies discipline and organisation. Daily activity is not necessarily boring, difficult or painful, until it is done against our will, forced upon us or truly harsh and hard.

Make your daily exercises exciting, thrilling, enjoyable and rewarding. Do what you love to do for a focused purpose! This does not mean that you do what your flesh tells you to do, nor should you allow your carnal nature to overrule your mind, because you know clearly that carnality leads to disaster and death. Many have taken that path of destruction and have never returned.

Rather, get on with the right exercises that will take you to greater heights for the Glory of God. It is not boring, not difficult or painful but truly rewarding as you give your best for a clear purpose and reason.

The example of the athlete or sportsman is the best example. He trains and trains. She trains and trains. Hours and hours of discipline effort, guided and supervised by a coach or trainer is put it over years until the day of testing comes. Olympian gold medallist standing head high gazing upwards as his national anthem is played knows very well, as thoughts raced through his mind that he is there at the top because of the years of sweat and tears put it to reach his best.

Many men and women have been on this road before. They set a target and work towards it. It is a daily adventure, a daily exercise, a daily effort over many years before the reach the peak of their ability.

Apparently, this is so for the eagle too. Not all eagles survive their first flight. Not all eagle succeed with their first swoop on their prey. There are failures and there are deaths, but the eagle who continues with its daily flight masters its skills and remain the top of the food chain until death.

You too must begin on this journey towards excellence. This is a daily test, a daily exercise, not without sweat and tears, not without agony or pain. There will be some of it. Good days and bad days. Good nights and bad nights. You learn as you go along. You mature as you age. You get better and better and you will begin to enjoy what you are doing, improve on it and become an expert in your area of work or activity.

For the believer, daily activities of major importance include the reading of God's Word, spending time in prayer and waiting upon the LORD and doing His work. Reading the Word of God, the Bible gives one the inner strength, builds up the inner person, gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding. As the Word says in Psalm One, he who meditates on God's Word will be strong and able to withstand all circumstances. God will sustain him through all situations. Prayer is a exercise in the spirit, the way we communicate with our Maker, our Father in heaven, through our daily communications with Him.

Prayer in the spirit, prayer in tongues edifies your inner man, strengthens your inner man and builds one up for the challenges that may come. Applying God's Word in your life, in loving your neighbour, feeding the poor, looking after orphans, widows and visiting the sick and ones in prison reflect the fruit of the Spirit in your life.

Further implementation of God's Word comes through your ministry as a servant of the Most High, serving Him in the many areas of ministry from pastoral care, preaching the Word, praying for the sick, praying for deliverance, healing and prayer in faith and working of miracles all for the glory of God.

Is service and work for the Kingdom tiring? Yes, it can be. Will it drain one out? Yes, it could, if you lack wisdom, as Moses himself almost got drained out judging the squabbles of the men he was leading. Is it boring, unrewarding or a waste of time? Certainly not, for when one is called to do the work, we do it for His Majesty.

Effectively, you are on His Majesty's Service and it is a great honour to serve Him, to work for Him, because we know that He is a good Master and we would not want to serve anyone else, but Him alone.

At the beginning or even along the way, there may be struggles, difficulties and problems, as Moses himself faced, taking the million or so Israelites across Sinai over forty years. But, he soldiered on, because that was his mission, his duty, his responsibility, which he faithfully did until death. At the start, it is always tough or difficult. Nevertheless, we should soldier on and on until breakthrough comes, until we see some light, until the next man comes along to take over from you. Until then, hold on and persevere through your daily routine, duties and exercises and He will see you through.

Laziness, tiredness, sleepiness and fatigue are words that you need to throw out of your vocabulary and replace it with perseverance, determination, diligence and patience. The same principles apply for the student. Whatever the examination, one is facing, one can prepare for it with months of preparation, studies and projects, culminating in success.

Tests, trials and assessments are a necessary part of monitoring to see where you are, what you have attained and the level of skill, knowledge or ability that you have arrived at.

Begin today for tomorrow's success.


Page 12

Wings that Soar

One would agree without any doubt, that the wings are the most vital or crucial organs of the eagle. The cliche `to clip one's wings' is so true for the eagle. Without its wings, it cannot fly and is rendered totally powerless. With its wings, the eagle rules the skies, soaring over miles, scanning for its prey from a thousand feet above. With a vision far better than the human eye, it fixes on its targets and swoops down on its prey and it is off again.

Stretching 90 inches in its span, the wings can take it above heights as high as ten thousand feet, assisted by rising hot air called thermals. Like any part of the body that moves, the wings have to be used and exercised regularly. The wings covered with superlight but tough feathers can weather cold temperatures as the eagle flies.

With age, the wings also age, become heavy and less effective and efficient, until the eagle sheds it off for new feathers. The eagle, nevertheless, has a good number of years of flying, between 15-20 years, soaring daily in the skies.

What about man? Where are our wings? We have `wings' too - raw talent that can take anyone of us to greater heights. Everyone has `wings' that can take us to the peak of our career. We need to discover our `wings'. We need to know where our wings are, where our skills and talents lie in.

Each animal has its ability and talent. It could be the wings for flight, the powerful forelimb of the lion, the foul-smelling fluid of skunks, the spiky shafts of the porcupine, the galloping legs of horses or the flapping arms of the seal.

Man's so-called wings is undoubtedly our mind. Man is vastly superior to all other species just on the measure of man's mind alone. It is the mind of man that will make him soar and rise to greater heights. The body is merely a tool, a temporary structure housing the person who owns the mind.

The mind of man is able to create as much as it can destroy. It is able to speak peace as much as it will go for strife. It can be moved to love or be engulfed with bitterness and jealousy, depending on the emotions and the feelings within one's heart.

Despite man's intelligence and innovations, amazingly, it takes many, many years to discover and rediscover. It took hundreds of years, thousands in fact before Galileo declared that the world was round in the 17th century. Not long after, Isaac Newton described the law of gravity in 1687.

From this two examples, dare we say that all that can be discovered about life on earth has been already discovered. No, certainly not! There is definitely still room for man's mind to reach out and soar into the heavens to discover new discoveries.

The discovery of cotton, silk, paper, ink all have made very lasting impact on man. Do not stop there! There are untouched frontiers, unsearched borders, unreached territories for you and I to go. Scientists, biologists and others are still discovering new species, new chemicals, new organisms. Indeed, unless and until we stretch our wings, we will not know the limits of our ability.

A sound mind guided and directed by God is powerful. And indeed, God has given everyone a sound mind. [ 2 Timothy 1.7 says, "For God has not given you a spirit of timidity but of love, power and of sound mind.].

Yet, man's mind can be evil, if not surrendered to God. Man's mind can be drawn to steal, kill or destroy. Man's mind can be moved to war and terrorism. Man's mind and heart can be persuaded to harbour hatred, bitterness and vengeance, if love is replaced by a misdirected passion.

Rather, we should use our mind to resolve conflicts, speak love, create bridges and develop ties among each other. When we get together and work together, man can reach to the skies, for the good of mankind.

With the Almighty guiding us, we will truly soar to the highest limits reachable.

And our `wings' are not in our mind only. It is for you to discover your little `wing' of talent. It may be special and unique to you. You may be a wizard with numbers. It could be your endurance. It could be your agile arms that make you a great sportsman or your legs that make you a commanding athelete off the blocks. You may have a special knack for animals that can make you a superb veterinarian. Or you just love people and are able to handle all types of characters well. Those are your `wings'. Use it and develop it and you will somewhere up there in the skies one day.


Page 11

The Feeding Years

Behind every great man or woman, there is a mentor, a teacher, a buddy, a spouse or a trainer - one who made the difference in his or her direction in life, be it the direction, the career or the destination.

It could be through inspiration, motivation or passion, or the disciplined, guidance and actual lessons that was passed on from the older to the young, the senior to the junior, the teacher to the student, the trainer to the champion. He or she was there to nurture, develop, encourage, teach, guide and train his disciple or pupil.

A parent - whether father or mother certainly contributes to the foundation of this great person, whether genetically through the genes, or through the growing years. The parent's input, whether by example or by words of wisdom, even hands-on teaching and guidance, passing on from father to son, perhaps was the way in which certain trades and skills pass on. Dad or mum definitely wants his or her child to grow up successful, learning from his or her mistakes, taking off where they left, venturing into greater heights, newer territories, crossing frontiers and markets, even beyond where they have never tread upon.

The wise parent goes beyond his own ability, knowing his or her own skill or knowledge is limited. They source for a teacher, a trainer, a tutor, a centre or an institution where their child can receive the best teaching, education, exposure and guidance towards producing a new breed for the next generation.

The eaglet thus remains under the mother and father's wings for up to four years. Four long years of nurturing, feeding, sheltering is a long time, far longer than most animals, fishes or even birds. Yet, those are necessary years - to groom a leader, a prince and the master of the skies. Once the training years are over, they soar to the skies totally free and independent, often never to return again. A new family is formed. when eagle junior flies off and finds his mate.

If the eaglet takes four years, the young man or woman should not take any less. Four years is a good time to allow growth, development and maturity in all areas. Four years, however, can fly by in no time, if we fly around without a clear purpose, direction and destination.

Let this day be the first day of your own four year plan. Your life begins today, whether you are ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty or even seventy. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt at the age of eighty. Don't retire now. Retire tomorrow.

You will discover and realise that one can learn many new skills simultaneously. Indeed, you can learn several skills and even several languages at the same time. One also is never too old to learn. We need not have to wait until we have mastered one skill before going on to another. So, begin now! Write down what you want to achieve from 2006 to 2009, so that by 2010 you will be accomplished in something you are raw at this moment.

Yes, you can learn three, four or even five languages simultaneously just as you can learn to use the Internet, play tennis, do horse-riding, learn to sing, play the keyboard, learn to drive, learn to swim, and pick up bird-watching simultaneously. Why not? That is exactly what students do - take up several subjects and activities simultaneously. Your brain has the capacity to do it, if you have the time and the passion.

The key is to search your heart, understand your heart's desires and passions and plan and organise the next four years. How do you do it?

Firstly, list out four or five new goals for a start, beginning now for 2006. Focus on these and ensure you make good progress for each. Once, these new studies or programmes have taken off, you may consider beginning another and another, 6 months or a year later.

For example, you are poor at ten-pin bowling at this moment. You have decided that you will improve and become a good bowler. You can. There is a price that you have to pay, though. Find a good teacher or trainer and set aside the time to bowl, twice a week for example - to bowl 4-6 games per session. In four years, you will be an above average bowler, not yet a champion, but you will certainly know how to deliver strikes and convert to spares.

At the same time, you have decided to take up archery, singing, painting and two other languages e.g. Japanese and French. That makes a total of six new skills in four years.

Archery may only need a tutor for a few sessions and practice once a week and subsequently once a month - just for the fun of it. In four years, you will be pretty good in archery.

Yes, you croak in the shower. You can hardly hit a note right. Your singing teacher will take you through the basics of voice control, correct breathing and when you keep singing along wherever you go, in the shower, in the car, at the karaoke lounge, you will improve. In four years, you will be a competent singer, not a star, but certainly able to go on stage, belt a few songs and entertain friends.

Painting has been your life-long passion. You want to be a good oil-painter. Do it the right way. Find a proper school. Set up a studio at home. Get the right tools. Learn the basics from a good teacher. Visit art exhibitions. Talk to painters and artists. Learn from teacher to teacher. After four years, you would have learnt the basics and am now ready to fly, to develop your own skills, while you continue to learn.

If it was just a hobby, you can be contented to cruise along. If the passion is accompanied by talent, after another four years, you may be holding your own exhibition, with your own unique style. It may take you another ten years, before you have mastered the art. With natural ability and good basics learnt from the masters, you can soar and go higher and higher.

By now, you can see and understand that learning a new language is just as easy and straightforward, if you learn it the right way. Remember, it is called one's `mother's tongue' when you learn it from young. Find a good teacher, whose mother's tongue is the language you are embarking to learn. In four years, with a good teacher at a pace of once a week or even once a fortnight, and many hours of listening to the mother tongue, you will be able to speak with the right accent and possess enough skill to communicate with another fellow Japanese or French man or woman. Language takes a long time to master for anyone. The professor in English may have taken 20 to 30 years to master and teach the language.

If you still have the interest and desire to go further in either language, you can rise and soar even higher. After ten years, you have arrived as a proficient speaker, able to read and write the language. It will take another ten years before you master it. So too, for everyone - a good twenty years to master any language.

Hence, do not be discouraged, dear eagle. You can arrive at a good level of proficiency in four years. You will of course need many more years to master your skill and grow in knowledge. Tiger Woods took fifteen years to reach a high level of mastery of golf. He took the next five years to continue to reach the peak in the world and he continues to improve as everyone else follows in their own pace of development and improvement.

That is life, dear eagle. Continue to grow. Feeding is about taking milk and meat - growing in muscles, skills and knowledge - not miserable fat and sheer kilos in weight.

These are the feeding or growing years. When carefully planned with the right talent and skills, we see success, exemplified by a new Tiger Woods. There is no short cut in this walk or path. You decide to start on a new route. You have a destination. You begin your walk, with a guide and teacher, who has been there before. You trudge along, through the forest, the thick rough, the potholes, streams and rivers and finally reach your destination. You made it with perseverance and practice. under the watchful guidance of a teacher, a trainer, an expert.

Good nutritious food with the right exercises, under a good trainer produces a great body, with the right muscles, toned up, skilled and capable for the specific tasks ahead.

Be an eagle in the area of your interest or skill. Make a choice or make choices. You can start from zero. Be it in writing, tennis, squash, salsa dancing, horse-riding, sailing, fishing, gardening, carpentry, aikido, knitting, cooking, flower arrangements - in almost anything. The same applies for knowledge. You can become very knowledgeable in a certain area or field, if you begin to read and research around a specific area. You will certainly be more well read than the man next door. You will probably know enough to write a PhD thesis in four years. Decide on it and take it up today. You will not be the same fowl four years from now.

You have not entered ministry. You are regular attending services, but have yet to take up Bible studies seriously. Search your heart. Four years can make a difference. Enrol in an online Bible degree course, or take up study on your own seriously. In four years, with the right tutor and guidance, you can become an accomplished believer in the faith, well grounded in the Word, ready for ministry. Indeed, every believer should be and can be equipped by his church in a four year period, to be ready for His Majesty's Service.

The well-fed, well-nourished eagle is ready for take off.


Page 10

The Dysfunctional Eagle

Out there in the offices, in the supermarket, in homes are many, many dysfunctional and ineffective people. These are people who may be cruising through life's path doing things according to their plans, desires, or people who are not able to do what they could do , because they are hurt, injured or distracted, resulting in them becoming ineffective eagles. Some have become lazy, contented to do very little, just perched on their nests, swooping down only for their own needs. They soar no more. What a sore sight, when eagles fly no more, just lined up perched on the cliffs like sparrows on the power line, lazing away.

They are ineffective, weak, without purpose and direction and do not deserve to be known as eagles. They have become a common fowl. A eagle is ineffective and would die, if complacency sets in. In the animal kingdom, this hardly ever occurs. They go on and continue to run the daily race, whether in the skies, the seas or on land.

Man is not like that. Man seems to have a thousand options. They can choose to be an effective eagle or a common fowl and appear to be acceptable before men. The man in the street may walk through life without acknowledging the existence of the Almighty. They may acknowledge Him but still continue to lead a normal secular life. They may do both, lead an active secular as well as be active in the church. Some retire when they are barely forty years of age, living on another forty years idly, literally wasting away several decades of good life, full of promise and potential.

The true eagle is however the one who truly li ves his or her life to the fullest - living one's utmost for His Highest as Oswald Chambers' book title says. In so doing, the eagle rises to reach the highest and experience the Almighty, yet swoops down to pick up food like any other living being. He or she is no laggard, no dysfunctional beast, but a wholehearted eagle.

The cliche that we have but one life is so true. One eagle can walk through life literally walking, limping or just hopping now and then, or he or she can fly, soar and swoop as its should, ruling the skies with awesome might and power, doing justice to its wings, establishing its authority as the king and queen of the air.

Are you dysfunctional? The truth is we are unless, we rise up, fly and soar into the skies. As the eagle soar and rise, so too should man soar and rise, in his or her own way.

Discover what it means to soar and rise as a human being in the following chapters.
Page 9

The Young Born Again Christian

Young in faith and fresh in belief, the young born-again Christian is a refreshing person to meet. He or she is ready to soak up all he hears, listening intently, focusing on the WORD and growing by leaps and bounds, trying to catch up with lost time.

He or she may have arrived from a worldly experience, full of sin and filth, or may have come with a clean slate - totally uncontaminated by the corruption of the world or the unbelief that suffocates the believer, preventing him or her from flying and soaring.

It is a good start to begin clean and fresh - unpolluted, uncontaminated by wrong doctrines, wrong principles and wrong beliefs. It would be a tragedy if the eaglet is convinced it cannot fly, that it is meant to wait for its food, and that it cannot see beyond the trees.

Man has failed in educating man. We emphasise so much on discipline, on do's and don'ts rather on what we can do to tap our potential to the limits. Man suffocates man, oppresses each other, blocks and obstructs more than build and develop. Ego, pride and jealousy are amongst the biggest enemies of mankind and many victims have paid the price for being too good, too smart and too progressive.

The young born again Christian is no different. In almost any church set-up of any denomination, he will be assigned to the pews, the rank and files till he is recognised for some talent, ability or calling in his life. If he or she remains unrecognised and his talents and abilities unnoticed or unrealised by others or himself, he may be seated and silenced for life!

It is not God's design that one or two lead and the others follow forever. God has assigned everyone to follow the leader, learn from him, grow and mature and then rise up and take off in flight, for the harvest is plentiful but labourers are few. True leaders must produce and multiply leaders. Good pastors must produce pastors. Good teachers produce teachers, prophet nurture prophets, evangelist raise evangelists, and apostles raise apostles......besides believers and followers alone. This is the process of teaching, guiding, imparting, empowering and sending.

Jesus did just that when He called the twelve disciples to His side. The Bible says, that He gave them power to heal the sick, to cast out demons and to raise the dead.

God's calling is for everyone. He has called you and I to rise and take up our positions and claim territories, advance in areas, develop in creativity and improvise in our skills. He is a God of work and achievements. His parables - the parables of Jesus reminds us about a strict boss, who will return to enquire about our lives, our work and what we have done with the talents and gifts He has given us.

It is a mind-set, `mood-set', `attitude-set', `heart-set', `spirit-set' and `soul-set' that needs to be awakened and stirred into action. We need to know, to be told, to be awakened that we are eagles, not ducks, chicken or even a swallow. We are eagles!! The sky is our limit, the field is our target.

So, if you are a young believer out there, no matter what your age is, think big - think God! Apart from Him, we can do nothing [John 15.5]. Yet, with God , nothing is impossible. Rise and soar into the Heavens. You can do it.

The next few chapters will deal with that. For now, do not ever restrict yourself and do not ever let anyone put you down, limit you and tell you that you cannot fly and that you cannot go beyond the hills or cross the boundaries, because the earth is yours for inheritance. Possess it!


Page 8

The Christian Eagle

Young or old in age or in faith, your true walk and flight begins with your commitment and belief in Jesus, as your Lord and Saviour.

Your flying and soaring begins with a new birth. Jesus said that unless we are born again, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Nicodemus asked Jesus, how could he possibly be born again?! It is this new birth, born not of flesh and blood, but of the Spirit of God, that is the key to the beginning of a new life in Christ, that will allow you to soar into the Heavens.

The Gospel of John, Chapter One verse 12 &13, says, " But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

This is the Truth and this writer makes no apology about it, because it is not his truth, not his statement, not his declaration, but God's direct Truth.

When you believe and receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour of your life, you become born-again into the Kingdom of God. This is the first and most important step in your life, before you can rise, walk, fly and soar.

Unless you have accepted Jesus as your Saviour, you cannot soar and rise up in Jesus. It is not discrimination, not prejudice - but the Truth. It is of no use for this writer to pretend and mask our true belief and bend the foundations of our faith to make it acceptable and pleasant to everyone, believer and non-believer. This would be misleading.

The Truth is that 'Jesus Christ is Lord' and the whole world and all that matters in life revolves around Jesus.

This is not fanatical thinking, it is not madness, but the real Truth. Our faith - the faith of Christians is built around Jesus Christ. Without Jesus - there is no faith!

"All things are made through Jesus and without Him, nothing was made that was made." John Chapter 1 verse 3. In the end, at the very end, when we enter or try to enter the gates of Heaven, when we have to face our Maker, it will be Jesus sitting at the Throne meeting us.

We have to be accountable to Him. We have to be justified by Him. We have to be approved by Him. He is our Judge, our Maker - the Alpha and the Omega. Our focus, our foundation, our bearing, our purpose revolves around Jesus.

True soaring, true flying, true performance is in relation to the truths around Jesus. That does not mean that we should stop eating, stop breathing, stop working, but rather we should begin to live a life, based on our understanding on who we are and why we are here for.

Success and prosperity as defined by the world may be different from that as defined here. Nevertheless, when we have success in Christ, it can also be identical with the success as measured by the world, with one major difference. In Christ, success is a blessing and people are blessed and God is glorified in the process and indeed God desires that we truly prosper.


The born-again believer in Jesus Christ comes to a personal realisation that our Salvation comes from Jesus Christ and He is the Lord of our life, even while we live as flesh and blood on planet earth.

Receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour reorientates our lives, redirects our lives towards God, the Father. We begin to live for Jesus, so the Word says, "To live is for Christ..." Phil 1.21.

The Bible says that you have become a new creation, a new person, a new being and should begin to walk in the Spirit, with gentleness, love, patience and meekness and manifesting other fruits of the Spirit.

It begins here and now, as we receive the Spirit of God as our Guide, Teacher, Counsellor and Friend.


Page 7

Emulating the Eagle

Man is clearly above all species, which creep, crawl, run even swim and fly on planet earth. Nevertheless, we can learn from the animal kingdom and indeed we have. We often quote the strength and courage of lions, the memory of elephants, the hardworking nature of bees and ants, the sleepiness of sloths, the swiftness of antelopes, the intelligence of dolphins, the smartness of the mousedeer and the faithfulness and friendship of dogs. We even talk of the rat, how they are survivors or the hyenas, how vicious they become when in a pack.

Man is definitely superior, more intelligent, more creative, more progressive and hence the most powerful of all species. So indeed we are and should be, for we are created in God's image - our body, our mind and our soul. We are truly special, truly rightful owners of planet earth.

Our first commandment also is a an empowering directive, as the Chairman gives to the CEO of a huge multinational, worldwide and international company.

"Rule the earth! Take over every inch, every square centimetre into the far corners of the earth!"

Yes, God, our Father clearly said to man immediately after man was created and breathed his first breath, opened his eyes and realised that he was a living being, amidst a beautiful environment called earth, made by God [not man] filled with flourishing trees that were God-made [not man-made], surrounded by the rest of creation on land, in the seas and flying in the skies, again all of which are God-made [not man-made].

God said: [Genesis 1:28] "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish in the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves on the earth."

God has created and He has provided. Not only has He made man and provided for man everything that he needs on planet earth, God has given man the directive, the command, the instructions to take over as Chief Executive Officer of planet earth.

Fill it and subdue it and rule it! He has also given man the authority and power to do so. So 'Biped Man', the creature with two legs, walking upright, uniquely handsome - the only one species with language, we who can talk, sing, think and even create, we are Man!

You are man! So special, so vastly superior over all other creation, we have moved ahead by light-years, while our nearest so-called cousins are still jumping from tree to tree!

Man is different, truly unique and exceptional. What mankind has achieved in the recent decades has been indeed amazing, literally an exponential explosion of intelligence and creativity.

Yet, it is all muddled up by a lot of depravity, sin, murder, rape, genocide, ruthless devastation of the environment and destruction of other living creatures and their habitat and the food around them - totally in contradiction to the first directive by the Chairman - to subdue and dominate, not destroy and devastate all other creation and the environment we live in!

If man continues to do so ruthlessly, there can only be one consequence when the Chairman acts and holds His final Annual General Meeting. He will sack the CEO and take over control!

On one hand, man may have overdone his power and authority. On the other hand, there is the opposite, when man does not do enough, when he or she does not rise up to his or her potential to perform, to produce and to penetrate into distant boundaries of the world, beyond the realm of the neighbourhood, beyond the little closet everyone calls `home'.

We look to emulate the eagle and other examples in creation to reach out to the limits of our capability or even go beyond to perform, produce and soar. We can go beyond the limits, for we have yet to realise the maximum potential of the human mind and intelligence. God is watching over us, as we soar and soar.


Emulating the eagle

1. Preparation and growth

There is a period of protection, nurturing, guidance and growing before the eaglet flies.

The average eaglet takes up to four good years, under the wings of its parents, before it launches out into the world. During this time, mother eagle spends hours to feed, protect, teach and nurture the baby eaglet, with natural God-given wisdom to do so, without having to attend 'meetings and seminars'! Daddy eagle, of course is the great inpiration as baby eaglet watches him in majestic flight and applauds as he swoops down on the prey with the precision of a marksman.

After four solid years, baby eaglet is ready to fly off, with the same majestic power and full of enthusiasm and vitality. Mum can sit back and retire! Daddy too, watches proudly, and later joins in flight.

Do we earthlings do so too? Yes and no! Education in schools, colleges and universities are structured. Not at home or the church - the two most vital institutions on planet earth. It is necessary to prepare the children to face the world, and it is even more vital to prepare the child of God to go out into the world - to share the Good News, amidst critics, surviving through persecution and tribulations.

After four years, every regular member attending a church, should be ready, equipped and excited to venture out into the world, out there. The messages each Sunday, together with other meetings and seminars would have totalled no less than 200 solid services and sermons - enough meat to stir the child of God to reach out for more himself or herself!


2. Knowing and understanding your physical abilities

The eagle took off in its first flight with confidence and sheer finesse. With the right preparation and equipping, all believers can be ready to take off into the world to impact the nations, bringing them the Good News.

Each young eagle takes to flight with similar or equivalent ability and power with such stereotypical or identical flight capabilities that makes us why human beings are moulded in so many size, shapes and capabilities. Is the quality control or genetic transfer in man so very much more variable than the eagle?

Man appears to have so much variation in ability and talent, potential and capability. The ability to walk, run, work, endure, talk, express and communicate varies so much from individual to individual. Some can only do a limited walk, while others can run a marathon. Some can only speak a few words of one language, but others who can speak several languages.

And there is no standard set for the average man or woman to achieve and to arrive at, no level of proficiency expected, no clear demands of society - none at all! Each achieves whatever it desires or can do, without any conflict of expectations or demands of parents or society.

Literally, the sky is the limit, but so too is the price you have to pay for your target, goal or vision. You and I can soar and aim higher and reach higher goals and targets, without disturbing the peace or apathy around you.

So man, or woman, you can definitely rise higher and higher to do more, achieve more, fly higher and reach the highest level of fitness and capability for your age, if you so desire it.


3. Developing Your Vision

The eagle has amazingly superior and focused vision. Its ability to see a rabbit from a thousand feet high, while scanning an area of up to 3 square miles is unmatched in the animal kingdom.

What about man? God said: Rule the earth! Dominate all other species! That covers thousands of square miles and high into the skies and deep into the oceans. This means that our scope and hence vision should be even far wider, with more depth and breadth compared to the eagle. Man can and should possess a far greater vision than the eagle. We have therefore a more superior vision than the eagle!!

God has given and empowered us to do so - the world is our playing field, our territory, our rightful home - the land, the seas and the skies. Earth is ours to rule and dominate as the CEO, while GOD remains Chairman.

Jesus, before He departed, after His resurrection gave us a clear directive and command to bring the message of Salvation to the ends of the world. Jesus, Son of God, is the Co-Chairman, who has now the full authority to execute all final decisions on earth. He is Lord, GOD's Son, Messiah and Saviour of the World.

Like the eagle, we need to see far and yet be focused.

4. Flying High and Lasting Long

The eagle flies high and stays adrift for long, long periods almost effortlessly. It does not need to reach as high as 10,000 feet but it does, nor does it have to sail endlessly for hours, but it does.

Why does the eagle push itself beyond the limits? Man can learn from that. When we push well beyond our limits, we have renewed strength, renewed direction and new focus. Have you reached your highest altitude? It is your attitude - your persistence, your perseverance, your patience and practice, practice, practice that pushes you to the highest limits of your endurance and ability.

We too can fly high and last longer.

5. Swift Precision

Swift, precise decision making - literally in one swoop, the eagle does it. The eagle drops down in its altitude, comes down to earth or the water surface to seize its prey, its food for the season. It is there for it for the moment, for the season and it knows it is God-given, like the young lion, they seek it and receive it from the Almigthy. Psalm 104 v 21.

Unless the eagle swoops down at the precise moment, it misses its prey and waits for the next opportunity. It is no easy task, no meal is easy for the eagle; it works for each bite, not like man. We pick up the phone and dial 1800 for food and it comes. Someone else has to toil for a meagre bite, but of the present generation grow fat and lazy as 'couch potatoes', waiting to be served. We take things for granted, maybe even take God for granted, unlike the hunter in the Kalahari Desert, who has to run and search for his prey, then seek the source of plants and fruits for water, working for each bite and for each gulp. Perhaps, it is in such a situation like the lion, the eagle and the desert hunter that we learn to be swift and precise for survival!

We can indeed learn from the eagle!


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