Dominion

Many parks, today, have signs reading, "Do not feed the wildlife."  The signs continue to explain that feeding them will cause them to be unable to find food naturally and depend on being hand-fed.  The magpie, a member of the jay and crow family, is a beautiful bird yet it has the reputation of being a trash digger.  People see it, and many other animals, as a nuisance.

After trash, contamination, industrialization, and the human transport of exotic invasive species, the habitats are dwindling.  It wasn't until coal-driven locomotives trailed steel rails that the settlers came and invaded the natural environment.  They struggled to survive from the Great Plains to the mountains and so they had to learn from the Natives until coal-powered communities could be formed.

Imagine, for a moment, living in a world with no smokestacks, contrails, or nuclear radiation.  Imagine not having to capture the moment with a camera because you are living in the moment,  everyday.   The Natives could naturally heal from the herbs and minerals that God provided without paying for it in a pill.  The men would go hunt and gather while the women made bowls and clothes.  Without subjecting to an 8 hour job, they could come home and eat.  Afterwards, they would fellowship with song and dance, giving thanks for the success.

In Medieval times, falcons were used to hunt.  In Africa and Asia, Elephants and rhinos helped pull ropes on gears and pulleys.  Sheep and Alpacas provide wool.  Camels and horses are capable of carrying a rider without fuel other than food.  "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon  the earth." (Genesis 1:26)

Many of the remnants of the tribes rooted in the midst of their Ancestors' value of the land, today, are often labeled as the, "Third world," undeveloped countries.  If the civilized world dams up the water or contaminates it, then, those tribes are in need. Many science textbooks declare that earth is the third planet from the sun. The only Biblical reason these tribes could possibly be singled out as "third world" is if somebody misinterpreted this passage : "Do not be conformed to this world." (Romans 12:2)  Stories of Tarzan, Mowgli, and George of the Jungle portray uncivilized humans as beasts in need of an education.

Science, today, attempts to tell the world that we are only beasts that, through time, acquired knowledge and understanding. "All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?"  (Ecclesiastes 3:20, 21)  God brought the animals on the Ark because He used them for a very special sign.  He wants us to never forget that, though, we were made in the same time frame as the beasts of the earth, we are so much more.

In Tree of Knowledge, love and it's purpose was touched upon.  "Perfect love casts out all fear. "  ( 1 John 4:18)  If one could love another perfectly, there would be no need of fear of God. If one could love God perfectly, there would be no fear of people!  Once this fear is cast out, love might cause us to see that the reason bears raid a soda truck or wolves encroach on a farmer's cows is because they are hungry and need to be taken care of.  Above taking care of what God created and thanking Him, we are not to fear the creations we were given dominion over.

So, why would Satan want us to fear certain beasts and want us to think we are nothing more than them?  "Now, the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.  He said to the woman, Did God actually say you shall not eat from any tree in the garden?"  (Genesis 3:1)  And who is this serpent?  "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which decieveth the whole world:  he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."  (Revelation 12:9)

In 2 Thesselonians 2:23, Paul made it clear that the "man of lawlessness" would be revealed.  Jesus told all His followers, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing by any means shall hurt you."  (Luke 10:19)

Isaiah 14:25 prophesied from the word of God:  "I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot:  then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from their shoulders."  Before the American flag was created an unusual flag, the Gadsden flag, was being waved in the Colonies.  The only image on this flag was a serpent with the words, "Don't tread on me."  A cosigner of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin, developed a peculiar cartoon, as well:  a picture of a chopped up serpent, with each piece representing a state, saying, "Unite or die!"

Whatever reason inspired these depictions, Satan wanted to subtly inform the world that he still exists. He revealed himself.  In The Middle Passage, the difference between earthly water and Heavenly water was revealed, in regards to Baptism.  When we take swimming lessons, we are taught to "tread the water."  Everything we are taught in this life gives some clue to the whole picture.  We have to recognize the clues and piece the information together to see exactly what we are dealing with.

But, in the meantime, we must rise!  Even if it doesn't all make sense, we have been given the duty to overcome being just a beast.  We are to be led by the Spirit!  It doesn't take a scholar to explain who the beast is or what mark he presents.  God calls us to accept a very important mark that Jesus can offer.   "Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes."  (Deuteronomy 11:23)

We are in the midst of a war of spirits, my friends so remember, "Then Jesus said to him, Put your sword back in its place.  For all who take the sword shall perish by the sword."  (Matthew 26:52)  We have no need to attack flesh.  Satan uses our very own Bible because it is a double-edged sword to fight, so let us take the Truth from it and be the feet that no longer fear the beast but tread over it with the Love and Grace of God!  I would much rather die for the Truth than live for the lie.  He, who is in us, will overcome!  Amen.