As Christians, there are some hard things for us to understand and therefore to deal with. Most of this
understanding is related to our leaning on our understanding, our preferences and not being mature enough to
where we have learned to fully entrust and leave everything in His hands. understanding suffering and rejection
while being a Christian at the same time is difficult for the immature. When most of us think of being a
Christian, we think of peace, joy and happiness. We are expecting God to give us jobs, cars, a mate, ministry,
money and prestige; but God doesn't necessarily always do that. God is interested in conforming us into His

A farmer one day came upon an eagle's egg, he took it home and put it with his hens. As time went by, the hen
sat on the egg and it hatched with the other eggs. As time went by, the hens would go out into the barnyard
and the peeps would follow. The little eaglet didn't know any better, so he also followed the hens. He just went
along with the crowd, because that is all he knew. Growing up in an environment with the other chickens did
not support or prepare him for what he was created for. His latent potential was hindered by the behavior of the
other chicks. He found himself scratching for food and pretty much acting like an earthbound chicken.

swirl on the ground. The mother hens spread out their wings for their little chicks to gather under. She ran her
chicks into the barn for protection with all the other chicks. But as our eaglet became a full grown eagle, he felt
something different into his spirit in response to the storm. Something strange was moving in our eagle's heart.
Why wasn't he afraid and run into the safety of the barn? what was keeping him into the strong winds of the
storm? Instinctively, he spread his long mature wings. the wind began to increase and caught his wings and
lifted him into the air. He found himself rising higher and higher. His heart began to feel the freedom of flight
for which God had created him. Deep in his heart he knew he was made for a higher way of living. He never
was comfortable with the scratching in the barnyard. The heart of an eagle will never be content in the
barnyard. His heart yearns for higher places. His wings were designed to be lifted by the wind. The wind is his
friend. To force an eagle to live in captivity is a great injustice to such a majestic bird.

True, hungry and humble Christians cannot live in a pew scratching through sermons. They cannot live nor be satisfied with the status quo of the modern churchgoer. Something beats in his heart when the wind begins to blow and the storm begins to churn. Oh, sure he cries and feels the pain when the winds of trials and conflict come, but something leads him upward and onward. Something empowers him beyond the forces of earth's gravity. His beauty and majesty are seen in the high places of the heavens. His nest is built on high and his flight carries him to even greater heights.

Saints, the wind of God's Spirit is beginning to blow, and those that are chickens will head for shelter and hid
from trials, rejection and storm, and those with a heavenly calling will begin to soar to the skies. If we thirst for
higher places, we will never be satisfied with scratching through the traditions of men who flee every trial to
find a "place" of peace, but they will stand in the Spirit and let God deal with them until they find the peace that

Isaiah 40: 31, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on
wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." NIV
True eagles do not have their hope in land, cars, jobs, wife or husband\u2026. Though these may have their place,

their hope is in the lord and all the rest is secured in their faith in Him who sits on high.
Hebrews 6: 19-20, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters
the inner sanctuary behind the curtain (Heavenly calling), where Jesus, who went before us,
has entered on our behalf." NIV
I want to talk to you about eagle saints, about the purpose of suffering, rejection, isolation, conflict,

Acts 9: 15,16, "But the Lord said to him (Ananias), "Go, for he (Paul) is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake

Matt 20: 20-22, "Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 'What is it you want?' he asked. She said, 'Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.' 'You don't know what you are asking,' Jesus said to them. 'Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?'" NIV

Oh, sit in church and get fat on teaching, don't move from your pew, don't stir up your family, your friends\u2026.
You will never hear the call. Yes, you are a chicken at heart, you may talk tough, but you hid in the crowd of
nominal, traditional Christianity. Don't worry - you will never suffer, nor be rejected. You will look like
everybody else. Sit and learn, gather insignificant information, teach unchallenging things\u2026. You will not see
this cup. Take the easy way out, move to the mountains, get away from problems, maybe God will call you as
you milk the cows, away from the pressure of people. Sit in your lonely abode away from the storms, just
passing time until you die. I am sure, oh Laodicean, you will find protection and still look like you have

Find a big church to hide in, brag about the teaching, being fed, the good feelings, and the programs\u2026. you will
not have to live on the edge, nor risk being exposed there. It is what you want - you find safety there. Who
wants to be among the "distressed or in debt or discontented?" (1 Sam 22: 2) Who wants to join the ranks of
the hungry that boldly go out to meet Him outside the camp? No, not you. You love the Lord from a distance, in
your comfort you are squandering your God-created life. Run to the shelter when the storm comes, hid from the
wind and the rain. God will not put a fire under you, He is a gentleman. You must break the chains of tradition
and through that you will find Him. You promised to give Him your all, and like Ananias and Sapphira, you held
back the best for yourself.

"Let's study the bible for the bible sake and not apply it to our lives." "Let's look at all the insignificant things that don't challenge us, so people will think we love God's word." "Let's talk about the bible, that will make us think we care about Him."

Are you willing to drink that first cup? how seriously do you to want to follow Jesus? We need conviction of sin not conventions for entertaining information. We need to suffer with Him, not attend happy-time-entertaining meetings. We don't need jokes and anecdotal stories, we need the fire of the truth to burn up the chaff of our flesh. "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being

Matt 26: 37-39, " And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then he said to them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." KJV