The magpie is a bird that people either love or hate. There are a number of species around the world, but here in Alberta we have the black-billed magpie.

Each magpie seems to have its own unique personality, some seem playful, other noisy and quarrelsome. Watching them interact can be quite amusing at times.

Magpies are pretty, their bright white chests contrast to their black bodies. The long black tail feathers make them look very graceful in flight. When the sun hits their feathers in just the right light, the black can show as an iridescent purple or even green at times making the magpies look like jewels.

Magpies are great imitators. They can duplicate the sounds of songbirds and I have even read reports of magpies in captivity being able to duplicate human speech and develop vocabularies similar to parrots. There have been times when I've heard birds singing or a cat meowing and turned to see it was only a magpie in a nearby tree.

With their pretty looks, their skills as imitators and their individual personalities they can make for joyful hours of watching.

There is another side to magpies though. As members of the crow family, they are part of God's clean up crew and will aggressively eat anything dead or alive that they can hunt down. Human garbage seems to be high on their list of delicacies as they quickly learn to move from neighborhood to neighborhood based on garbage day. No plastic bag or can with a loose lid is safe from their strong beaks. Like many members of the crow family, magpies are quite intelligent and resourceful and can problem solve. If there's a way to get at the garbage, they will find it and leave it strewn across the neighborhood.

While their forays into the garbage can make them a nuisance, they really do serve a niche in the overall scheme of things.

There's another great imitator out there that we need to be vigilant about. It can look pretty; it is often intelligent and resourceful. Unlike the magpie, I'm not so certain it has any redeeming qualities.

That imitator is the false teacher. They look like Christians, they talk like Christians, but they teach things that aren't Biblical and often manipulate people and situations for their own benefit.

Scripture warns us of their danger

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matthew 7:15-23 NIV

We need to be discerning about who and what we follow. If teaching doesn't match up to Scripture, avoid it. Christ and His Word need to be the standard we measure against. If the teaching doesn't hold up in the light of Scripture it is suspect at best.

Check the Scripture references for yourself. Don't just look up the verse being quoted, but read the verses around it. Is it being used in context? Is it being cited out of context just to make a point? A person can quote Bible verses out of context and make them "prove" virtually anything.

Ask the questions. Is that what the Bible really says? Is that what that verse really means? What else does the Bible say on that subject?

There is a treasure trove of good Bible teaching out there and easily available. There is also some real debris disguised as biblical teaching. It sounds vaguely biblical and may even quote Scripture, but it can be very dangerous. Even Satan can quote Scripture.

Until next time, may you be discerning and learn to tell good biblical teaching from bad.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)!

Kevin

Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are cared for.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7 NIV

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