The Character of Creatures - Table of Contents

Table of Contents for the book The Character of Creatures: What the Animal Kingdom Teaches Us About God and His Word by Canyon Shearer, DMin. Paper copies can be ordered by clicking https://link.amazon/B020EmuXK.

Introduction

1. Smelly Friend - The Skunk

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:33

2. New Life - The Butterfly

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17

3. Afraid of the Light - The Cockroach

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ~ John 3:19–20

4. Ugly By What Standard? - The Swan

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ~ John 15:19

5. Get to Work - The Ant

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. ~ Proverbs 6:6

6. Anger that Kills - The Honeybee

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ~ James 1:19–20

and

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil. ~ Ephesians 4:26–27

7. The Poisonous Tongue - Stinging & Biting Animals

The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things…No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ~ James 3:5,8

8. Sin That Kills - The Moth

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. ~ James 1:14–15

9. Fleeting Treasures - The Moth

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ~ Matthew 6:19–20

10. Be Careful What You Eat - The Goat

If someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:4

11. Thirst for Righteousness - The Camel

His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. ~ Psalm 1:2–3

12. Carry Heavy Things - Beasts of Burden

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ~ Galatians 6:2

and

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ~ Matthew 11:28

13. Helping is Messy - The Ox

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean. But abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. ~ Proverbs 14:4

14. Be Teachable - The Donkey

Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. ~ 2 Chronicles 30:8

15. No Salvation Through Strength - The Horse

The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. ~ Psalm 33:7

and

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. ~ Psalm 20:7

16. Returning to Sin - The Dog

Like a dog that returns to his vomit
    is a fool who repeats his folly. ~ Proverbs 26:11

17. Blinded to Godliness - The Pig

Like a gold ring in a pig's snout
    is a beautiful woman without discretion. ~ Proverbs 11:22

and

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. ~ Matthew 7:6

18. Change Yourself? - The Leopard

Can the leopard change his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil. ~ Jeremiah 13:23

19. Sneaky Sins - The Fox

Catch the foxes for us,
    the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
    for our vineyards are in blossom. ~ Song of Solomon 2:15

20. Sneaky Sinners - The Fox

Go and tell that fox, “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.” ~ Luke 13:32

21. Obvious Sins - The Komodo Dragon

The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment...    ~ 1 Timothy 5:24

22. Pet Sins - The Raccoon

…but the sins of others appear later. ~ 1 Timothy 5:24

23. Be Watchful - The Lion

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ~ 1 Peter 5:8

24. God is in Control - The Dinosaurs

Can one take [Behemoth] by his eyes, or pierce his nose with a snare? ~ Job 40:24

Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? ~ Job 41:1

The Lord with his hard and great and strong sword…will slay the dragon that is in the sea. ~ Isaiah 27:1

25. Salvation is at Hand - The Eagle

You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. ~ Exodus 19:4

26. Gentleness as a Response - The Dove

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.  ~ Matthew 10:16

27. Dwell Secure - Mountain Climbers

He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. ~ Psalm 18:33

28. Hypocrites - The Ostrich

The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love? ~ Job 39:13

29. Thrive in your Gifting - The Penguin

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them! ~ Romans 12:6

30. Lay Aside Every Burden - Birds

Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us! ~ Hebrews 12:1

31. Save Others - The Gopher Tortoise

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:19

32. Plant Seeds - The Squirrel

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth ~ 1 Corinthians 3:6

33. Water Seeds - The Beaver

Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ~ 1 Corinthians 3:7

34. Guard Your Heart - The Armadillo

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. ~ Proverbs 4:23

35. Swim Against the Current - The Salmon

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ~ Romans 12:2

36. Eyes to See - The Hawk

No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. ~ Hebrews 4:13

37. False Teachers - The Wolf

Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. ~ Ezekiel 22:27

38. Prickly People - The Porcupine

The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. ~ 2 Timothy 2:24–26

39. The False Convert - The Parrot

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. ~ 1 John 2:19

40. Bear Fruit - The Bear

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide… ~ John 15:16

Finale - Look Like Jesus - The Human

Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ~ Romans 8:29

Conclusion

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! ~ Psalm 150:6

Pay to Pray?

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ~ James 5:16

If we knew how much power was in prayer, I think we'd pray a lot more and ask more people to pray for us, or at least consider how to get our prayers to be more effective. It led to the consideration: why we don’t pay people to pray for us?

As the world goes from bad to worse, we see weird prayer opportunities that are centuries old and some that are brand new. In Buddhism prayer wheels have mantras written up to a million times inside so that when spun they supposedly magnify the prayers of the spinner. In Hinduism and Oglala Lakota thought, cloth is supposedly imbued with prayer and then tied so the wind can carry the prayers to their destination. In many religions, like Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism, candles or incense play a major role in prayers rising. One of the reasons I started thinking about this was someone posted (as a joke) that they were using the vast reasoning power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to constantly pray for them just in case God was listening (or attending) to the thoughts of the AI.

Surely, we understand that wanting to magnify our prayers to be more powerful and effective is a great desire, not just for Christian, but this is one of the universal truths of the world. No one wants to waste their time in prayer. We had a dear sweet friend who passed from death to life about a year ago who seemed to have the gift of faith and having his prayers answered; I have lamented over the past year not asking him to pray more often for us, and especially not asking him his secret.

We have the knowledge that something can block our prayers. It’s common to say, “My prayers are just bouncing off the ceiling,” or “I don’t think God is listening.” Lamentations say our prayers cannot pass through the clouds because of our unrepentant sin (Lamentations 3:42–44). Peter says our prayers are hindered by how we’re mistreating our wives (1 Peter 3:7). That verse is obviously most importantly about husbands and wives, but it can be extrapolated to how we’re treating anyone, as Matthew 5:23–24 and Mark 11:25 affirm. Isaiah confirms the correlation of how we love others to how God hears (Isaiah 59:1–2), as does the Psalmist (Psalm 66:18).

We see prayers being offered with earnestness by Buddhists, Hindus, Lakota, Catholics, Muslims, and Jews, but James tells us “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions!” (James 4:3). Jesus told us, "When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be hard for their many words" (Matthew 6:7).

I was sort of shocked when I realized that no religion has an established, or even common, practice of paying people to pray. I told a group of men recently that if I could afford it, I’d pay them a lot of money to just pray for me every day. But then I realized if people were praying just because they were paid, then very quickly we’d lose the most important aspect of James 5:16, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

An old custom says that farmers would regularly pray, “Don’t listen to the prayer of the traveler!” because the traveler was praying for fair weather and dry roads. That’s not what a farmer needs or is praying for, they want wet fields and rainy days! The will of those praying was in direct opposition, and I believe that’s one of the major hindrances to paying people to pray for us. I’m praying for an older lady who is very near to entering hospice end-of-life care. The first time I met her I prayed out loud for a saving faith in Jesus, a heart fixed on heaven, joy in the journey, and for her to be content in future circumstances. When I said amen, she looked at me with disgust and said, “Don’t pray that!” I asked her what she would rather I pray, and she was honest that she wanted two things: to go home and that the nursing care system would not consume (her word was “steal”) all of her money. God has been slowly removing possessions and the weight of this world from her, please pray that God would grant her repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.

If we’re praying just for worldly gain and filthy lucre, we’re likely to fall into the trap that Paul describes for Titus, that people will, “teach for shameful gain what they ought not to teach” (Titus 1:11, compare Matthew 6:24). If I was praying for that woman out of obligation rather than love for her soul, it would be very tempting to pray only for what she wanted, rather than what God wants: her sanctification (John 17:17, 1 Thessalonians 4:3).

If we paid people to pray for us, we might find them soon praying that God would give us more problems so that we would pay for more prayers. That’s my view of the totally depraved human heart, and maybe I’m wrong, but I see it quickly degenerating into a desire for money rather than a sincere desire to pray. And that broken desire drops the “righteous” man right out of the equation, and then the prayer loses its power.

But we still need people to pray for us, as the Apostle Paul famously said, “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many” (2 Corinthians 1:11). John Calvin prefaced one of his books, “I now only beg of my readers, that, as they reap any advantage from the work, they would assist me with their prayers, that the Lord may carry forward what he has begun in me.” Spurgeon urged his hearers, “No man can do me a greater kindness than to pray for me.”

The church is built on a community of prayer, but our prayers by themselves are weak. Spurgeon confessed and I affirm, “I have never prayed a prayer yet with which I have felt content. From my first prayer till now I have need of grace to cover my shortcomings at the mercy-seat. No act of consecration, no act of self-sacrifice, no rapture of fellowship, no height of spirituality has been without its imperfections.” A quote attributed to George Washington (and Spurgeon, and various Puritans, that I could not corroborate) is phenomenal,

I have called on Thee for pardon and forgiveness of sins, but so coldly and carelessly, that my prayers are become my sin and stand in need of pardon.

If we have to be righteous for our prayers to have power, and it’s so easy to hinder our prayers, and our sins have made a separation between us and God, then not only should it be useless to pray, but it should also be useless to ask even the best of men to pray for us. We remember from J. C. Ryle, “The best of men are only men at their very best! Patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, martyrs, fathers, reformers, puritans, all are sinners who need a Saviour! Holy useful, honorable in their place, but sinners after all.”

But we have two righteous men praying for us right now, men who will never falter, never fall, and never sleep. Of one it says that he was raised and is now at the right hand of God, and is indeed interceding for us (Romans 8:34)! Of the other it says he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:27). The men are God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and their prayers are perfect in power and direction. When I pray for you, I may not know exactly what God is planning or how to pray exactly as I ought (Romans 8:26), but when the Holy Spirit prays for you, he knows exactly how to use your circumstances to transform you into the image of the Living Christ (Romans 8:28–29).

If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me! ~ Robert Murray M’Cheyne

Indeed, Jesus has opened the way to the Father to us perfectly as he says,

Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. ~ John 16:23–24

So we pray as righteous people, made righteous not by our perfection, but rather because we are far from perfect but made perfect by the Son of God who loved us and died for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). He is risen and reigning and because he lives, “he always lives to make intercession for [his saints]” (Hebrews 7:25)! You don’t have to pay him to pray for you, you don’t have to be righteous for him to pray for you, you don’t have to be faithful for him to pray for you. You have to draw near to him by faith, and he’ll receive you just as you are, so that he can transform you into the person he desires you to be. I hope you’re praying that he’ll do that for you!

And how about your prayer life, beloved? Is your prayer life so robust that someone would pay you to pray? If so, would you pray for me? Is your prayer life so anemic as to need God to forgive it? If so, please still pray for me! Either way, I’ll pray that God will reward you abundantly.

Prayer is priceless, and paying someone to pray for you would cheapen it to the point of being worthless. Because it’s so priceless and effective and wonderful, what a gift it is to pray for everyone in your life! The greatest gift you can give someone is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, it’s already paid for, pray now that it would be effective.

I must pray and I will pray. What else can I do? What better can I do? ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

P.S. Please pray for us!

Books Read — July–October 2026

Books I've listened to or read from July–October 2026 (contains Amazon Affiliate Links)

What a blessing to have so many interesting books to read. I continue to read books from the public library so it's caused some broadness in my reading. I did order a John MacArthur book because I needed it for a research project. I also grabbed a Stuart Scott book off my shelf that I've been meaning to read for forever. There is no particular order here, other than the books I didn't finish and don't intend to finish are at the end.

Church: Why Bother – Philip Yancey

An examination into the local church and the blessings that come with living in a community of believers. In an age where unbelievers are espousing “Church Hurt” and “Spiritual Abuse” it’s great to read a book about all of the good that the local church does day in and day out.

All My Sons – Arthur Miller

I listened to this audio drama because a friend asked me to. It was vulgar but carries an interesting concept of cause and effect. It contains a weird amount of fatalism and doesn’t really wrap up very well. It was interesting to think about how WWII veterans coped with returning from the war as this is not a common topic in most writing. Overall though, not recommended, there are better cause and effect books out there.

The Odyssey of Echo Company – Doug Stanton

This is a Vietnam war story told from the point of view of a young paratrooper. It captures his feelings masterfully from firefights to horrible tragedies. His visit back to Vietnam many years in the future is told well and when he connects with an NVA soldier who he had exchanged gunfire with, it really gives important lessons into humanity and the necessity of peace through Jesus Christ, not annihilation.

The Watchmaker’s Daughter – Larry Loftis

This was my favorite book of the quarter, if not the year; it very well could be in my top 10 favorites of all time. I absolutely love the research that Loftis put into this book and the movement from start to finish. Loftis fills in blanks I didn't even know I was missing! The theological themes are powerful and told from the perspective of Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie rather than just theological lectures. The conversion stories are phenomenal and inspire hope in the midst of very dark times. One of the hardest themes was when Corrie said she had a harder time forgiving the man who betrayed her family than she did the Germans or the Japanese. An amazing story of forgiveness and redemption. I’ll read this one again soon! Highly recommended!

Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table – Louie Giglio

Giglio writes this book mainly to encourage readers to be transformed in the renewing of their minds. The “enemy” is anything that steals from God’s will in your life and is based on the table in the presence of mine enemies from Psalm 23. A few great points are that trials show us who our friends are, and that questions say your actions or beliefs are wrong, while accusations say who you are is wrong.

Who Was Joan of Arc? – Pam Pollack

A very interesting mini historical vignette of Joan of Arc. It’s written for kids so is fairly direct and accessible. It doesn’t shy away from her idolatry, but unfortunately doesn’t provide corrections either, rather just reports on it. This is very useful in considering how you will respond in the face of difficult political and theological conundrums.

The Devil’s Best Trick: How the Face of Evil Disappeared – Randall Sullivan

I grabbed this one not realizing how very long it is, but I really think I learned some good things from it. It takes time looking at the similarities of devil worship and demonic activity from the Near East, Mexico, South America and parts of the United States. Written mostly from a Catholic standpoint it really has a hard time summarizing the devil from the Bible. A few of the vignettes get exceedingly graphic and really show the depravity of humanity. The main story, a murder in Oklahoma, is never resolved in the book which leaves the reader wondering why it was included at all. The absolute best part of the book is about a Protestant chaplain in Washington State named Ron Willhite who led many prisoners to find forgiveness through Jesus Christ. I’m not sure the book was worth that excellent chapter, but I’m glad I read that chapter.

A History of Freedom – Rufus Fears

A series of lectures from Socrates to the Founding Fathers to the Modern Day, Fears does a good job of giving an overview of different views of freedom and how they have built on each other. My favorite was the section on Churchill and the belief that freedom is an active pursuit, not a destination; and the importance of morality to maintain freedom. The section on Mahatma Gandhi was eye opening as well and how just a desire for freedom can’t achieve freedom. My major critique though is that Fears rarely takes a solid stand on anything, and is just delivering information, so it’s unclear what is being left out or embellished.

Theo of Golden – Allen Levi

I had to wait weeks for this at the library, but the wait was well worth it. It reminds me of Pollyanna about how a loving person can bring hope into a community. I won’t ruin it for you, but the gist is an old man who has time and love to give to people who need it greatly. This is a slight spoiler alert, but at the end you find out the main character was seeking his own humanity and purposes as well. The story progression is mostly good but there are some parts that just feel like they drag, but even that is a reminder that people are worth loving even when they’re kind of boring.

My favorite part of the book was the quote, “People like me need people like him.” And I intend to live that out. People like me need people like you, dear reader! The specific context was people who go out of their way to love people, but it works for all people, even difficult ones.

The quote written in a colloquial way: "There is justice and there is mercy. If you are not sure what to do and you gotta choose one or the other, I always go the mercy way. If you make a mistake, make it for mercy. Bad mercy don't hurt nearly like bad justice, and always remember, the eye of God can see!" will forever have a place in my preaching and forgiveness from now on.

I also really enjoyed the emphasis on the “The noblest invention of man – the Bicycle” because as I get older, the more I absolutely love being on my bicycle. I’ve started putting it in the back of the car because I get to explore all sorts of great things just by being able to do a quick spin.

Code Name Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy – Larry Loftis

Nowhere near as good as The Watchmaker’s Daughter, this story follows Odette Sansom through her clandestine courier job with the French underground. Her capture, torture, and imprisonment show the wickedness of the Nazi regime, but there is little momentum. The scandal of her relationship with her commanding officer is told with romance and intrigue rather than what it was. There is also a lot of questionable morals on both sides and just makes everyone the bad guy from the Nazis to the French to the British government. The worst part of the book is at the end when the author admits how little information remains to tell the story, and the reader has to realize that much of it is speculation, made-up, or hearsay.

Lies My Therapist Told Me: Why Christians Should Aim for More Than Just Treating Symptoms – A Biblical Critique of Secular Psychology and Hope for True Healing – Greg Gifford

For the most part this is a very helpful book on how the mind is not synonymous with the brain. Much of modern psychology is rightly pulled down, especially The Body Keeps the Score. The gospel is clearly delivered in multiple places. Todd Friel’s introduction is worth reading the book! Where it falls apart is at the end where there is almost an idolatrous view of biblical counseling, a warning against biblical counselors speaking about all topics (sleep especially), and what felt like the idea that a biblical counselor is more adept in counseling than a trusted pastor. I still recommend this book, but I really was crushed by how it ended with hope in counselors, not Christ.

The Truth About Forgiveness – John MacArthur

MacArthur unsurprisingly points forgiveness at Jesus first. We’ll never understand or ask for forgiveness or grant forgiveness until we understand what Jesus did for us. Those who have been forgiven much, love much! MacArthur wonderfully grounds forgiveness in Christ’s death on the cross and calls all Christians to go out of their way to extend forgiveness and not hold sins against people, rather giving them to God. As so many are trampling underfoot the biblical teaching on forgiveness and making up their own requirements, this book is a wonderful reminder that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood.

Killing Sin Habits: Conquering Sin with Radical Faith – Stuart Scott

Scott introduced me to the word “Vivify” which is the opposite of “Mortify”. Mortify is to put to death, Vivify is to bring to life. The whole of the book can be summed up with the true way to kill sin habits is to bring out the love and righteousness that God desires, not just to avoid the hatred and sin that God abhors. This book is full of typos, not sure how or why that happened, but instead of distracting me it reminded me that the message is much more important than the messenger!

The Puritans: A Transatlantic History – David Hall

I listened to this one on a long trip and unfortunately don’t remember a lot about it. The key point though is that there has been a concerted effort to remove the vitality of the Puritan’s life, faith, and influence in politics in a time when democracy is failing. Hall made a concerted effort to show how much Puritans loved life, loved each other, and especially loved serving God!

I did especially love the section on Cromwell, especially learning that Psalm 71 was his favorite and he had it memorized.

Started and didn’t finish:

Forgiveness – Matthew Ichihashi Potts

This book strangely tries to tie fiction in with theology, in with social constructs. I didn’t get very far because there is very little authority in this book. It fails to understand biblical forgiveness as full reconciliation, and rather tries to make it into a therapy rather than a command. It did have one very good point that I should have taken notes on but I was sure I’d remember. I think it may have been about “What would happen if no-one forgave?” But I can’t remember if that was it or not.

Stalin’s Apostles – Antonia Senior

I love the idea of this one, but the author has a serious issue with forward movement and knowing what’s important. Couldn’t finish it because it just felt stagnant in the first couple dozen pages; and it didn’t feel like it was earning my time.

Death of a Salesman – Arthur Miller

I also started this one at the behest of a friend. But this was just too slow and whiney and vulgar. I don’t know if the end was predictable, but it felt predictable and so I never found out how it ended. Now that I’m writing this I’m curious about how it did end and I might go look up the summary.

Books that I wrote (please reach out to me if you'd like a copy and I would greatly appreciate honest reviews):

Hope in the Loss of a Baby: A Deeper Dive into what the Bible says about Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Death

After wrestling with God for two decades on one of the hardest topics in the Bible, I finally decided to put all of my thoughts on paper. You'll be amazed at how often and how clearly God speaks about this topic and what his plans and purposes are. They are plans for a hope and a future!

The Character of Creatures: What the Animal Kingdom Teaches Us About God and His Word

I made substantial updates to my children's devotional based on excellent feedback I received. I don't know why I'm surprised, but I've been blessed how this book has been reaching ex-convicts, those who have been saved out of addiction, and those struggling in addiction.

Dear reader, what have you read recently and what do you recommend?

Critical Church Theory - How Church Hurt and Spiritual Victimhood Will Cost Your Soul

We’ve all heard of the Critical Race Theory that says all of the problems with the world are the result of endemic racist laws, societal inequalities, and underlying biases. Other versions of Critical Theory say that the rich victimize the poor, that colonizers were oppressing the noble savages, and that climate change is caused by the rich and powerful. Various LGBTQ communities would say that those in power (doctors, parents, clergy, etc.) are forcing their values and morals on people and are the source of all of their troubles. We could go into ageism, ableism, and capitalism to discuss others.

We just left October which was dubbed, “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” in which victims hijacked what could be a legitimate time of real help and transformation by saying that “Domestic Abuse” could be as trite as making someone feel bad, or trying to set boundaries, or especially upholding biblical values or believing the Bible. The victim mentality said, “I’m oppressed!” And then they lowered the definition until they could vindicate their "abuse" or "oppression."

It all has at its heart Marxism, that all of human history is driven by the struggle between the oppressed and the oppressor. We would think that the church, with ample access to the Bible, would be immune from the idea that all of my problems are someone else’s fault. But alas, we’d be wrong. Some churches have swallowed the Critical Theories without any baiting, but others have swallowed them hook, line, and sinker without even realizing that they’ve been caught in a snare of the devil.

The most effective enticement the enemy uses in catching somewhat mature Christians is the new idea of “Church Hurt” and “Spiritual Abuse”. They try to find places in the Bible where these terms might fit. The apostatizing ACBC recently posted an interview where the interviewee readily admitted, “I see so many manipulative people I had to go find it in the Bible.” That’s not how Christians are supposed to read their Bibles or make disciples! You don’t find a problem in the world and then go try to force the world’s language into the Bible. We call that “Eisegesis” or finding your agenda in the text. For a quick lesson in how easy eisegesis is, notice that Psalm 14:1 clearly says, “There is no God!” Then look in John 3:17 where John confessed and did not deny, “God has not sent his Son into the world...” And especially in Acts 15:5 where the Bible undeniably says that for Gentiles to be saved, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

Of those three verses of course that’s not what the Bible means despite saying those words verbatim. Neither is there any such thing as “Church Hurt” or “Spiritual Abuse” found in its pages. Sinful people who tear the flock? Yes. But sheep that sit around all day whining about it? No. Spiritual Abuse and Church Hurt are only Critical Theories that say that someone in the church has been oppressing poor little defenseless innocent me.

It has been accurately said, “When you make someone a victim, you cut them off from the gospel.” Of the cross the Psalmist said, “When the humble see it, they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive” (Psalm 69:32). How could anyone watch the Saviour die and be glad? It's by not being a victim in the story!

Charles Spurgeon recognized the only way you could be glad that Jesus died is if you realized he went willingly to pay for your sins! “You need not weep over the crucifixion, but weep over your transgression, for your sins nailed the Redeemer to the accursed tree. To weep over a dying Saviour is to lament the remedy; it were wiser to bewail the disease.”

In no sense is the Christian a victim in the story of Christianity. At the first we were perpetrators, sinners, destroyers, mockers! But then, by God’s grace, we became hyper-victors, more than conquerors (Romans 8:37), as we partook in his lifesaving work (Hebrews 13:13–14).

Find these Marxists running from church to church because someone offended them, because some pastor insulted them five years ago, because the wrong Bible is used or non-essential doctrine is preached, or because they did not get their way, and you’ll find someone who does not know the weight of their sin or the joy of sharing in Christ's suffering. Their hope is in punishment and accountability and oversight and reparations and a broken and paralyzed government system. Their hope is everywhere but Christ. No wonder they have no joy or assurance of salvation and why their love has grown cold and their message is one of tearing down, not of building up.

Children of God are heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him (Romans 8:17). Christ calls you to suffering, it’s not an accident, it’s part of his plan. He intends to wound you so that he can heal you (Job 5:18). He’s not an abuser, he’s a master craftsman and impeccable surgeon (Hosea 6:1). He lets bad things happen to Christians constantly to grow them into the people he wants them to be. He lets bad things happen to non-Christians so they won’t think the world is in great shape. And he lets bad things happen to false converts so they will be evident to everyone through their response that they never knew him.

Do you think victims will forgive? Of course not, because that would be giving power to their oppressors. Marxism and Critical Theory does not allow that. This is one reason why Jesus gave us forgiveness as a test of salvation (Matthew 6:14–15). Those who won’t forgive won’t be saved, not because forgiveness earns them salvation, but because it shows that their hearts are far from him who so freely gives of his grace and forgiveness and mercy. A victim has no part nor lot in the kingdom of Christ, they are trapped in bitterness and iniquity (Acts 8:21–23).

What is the antidote to this woke church theory that is consuming so many and ushering in the end of times? It’s to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). Give all vengeance to God, he will repay. Be quick and overabundant to show honor to those who hurt you. Be wronged for his sake, as that at the appointed time he will exalt you.

While I am not a John Stott fan in the least, I do wholeheartedly agree with him when he said, “Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.” David Brainerd said it a little more forcefully, "What God designs by all my distresses I know not; but this I know, I deserve them all and thousands more." Weigh the weight of your sin against God in comparison to the weight of the sin that has been sinned against you, and realize that your pain really isn’t that severe (2 Corinthians 2:5). Realize that you’re a villain in this story, a sinner to be saved, not a victim to be vindicated.

Truly, if you’re a victim, you’re cut off from the gospel.

Let me say it plainly: If you’re a victim, you’re cut off from Christ and all of his promises of blessing, be sure of that.

If your sin nailed him to the cross, then you know that because he has forgiven you, you must forgive; you must willingly become a servant of all, including your “abuser” who did so much less to you than you did to Christ. Go and love his church, go and love the lost, go and show his love for you that while you were yet a sinner, Christ died for you (Romans 5:6–8).

You can be offended or you can serve Christ. You cannot do both.

Conclusion - The Character of Creatures

This is a chapter from the book The Character of Creatures: What the Animal Kingdom Teaches Us About God and His Word.

Conclusion

Thank you, dear reader, for taking this journey with me as we looked at the character of creatures. Which was your favorite? Which will you put into action? I hope you said all of them! God does not want you to be a hearer only, but a doer. Share these with your friends, pray about them, live them out, and see how God will bless you as he prepares you to bear fruit abundantly!

We only looked at some of the animals in God’s kingdom; consider how other animals teach you amazing things about God’s Word and his will for your life. God has given his creation to illustrate his attributes to you.

Always remember, only Jesus Christ can fully show you who God is, because while no one has ever seen God, God the only Son, who is at the Father’s right side, he has made him known (John 1:18)! If you truly want to know who God is, it is good to go to church and hear your pastor preach from the Word, it is good to read books like this, and it is good to ask your parents questions, but the best place to know who God is, how he can save you, and his will for your life, is from the Bible.

If you do not know where to start, I would like to encourage you to start in the Gospel of John, it was written by one of Jesus’ closest friends, and it will tell you who Jesus is, why he came, and why it is important to you.

Put God’s Word into practice until Christ returns or calls you home.

In the perfection of God’s New Creation we will have all sorts of new lessons to learn about his creatures, I hope we can discuss passages like this one together!

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain. ~ Isaiah 11:6–9

and

The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain. ~ Isaiah 65:25

Go now and serve God in the strength and wisdom he has given you!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! ~ Psalm 150:6

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