From guest writer and my good friend, Robbie Hutchins:
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Matthew 7:21-23 NASB1995
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”” John 6:40 NASB1995
Louisiana’s annual early special teal season ended on September 30th. I was blessed to have a place to hunt. I enjoyed some great hunts and made lifetime memories with some great friends who are more like brothers than friends.
For any of you that don’t hunt ducks and geese, the early special teal season is a special season that occurs in September each year. Many years ago, hunters and biologists recognized that the yearly migration of blue winged teal is triggered by the decrease in daylight hours (photoperiodism) and that the main migration of blue winged teal occurs between late August and early October each year. They also realized that by the opening of the regular waterfowl season most of these early migrating blue winged teal were in Central and South America. The early September teal season was created to allow hunters the opportunity to harvest the early migrating blue winged teal.
To enjoy the opportunity to legally participate in this special early season, there is one very simple rule that all hunters must follow. The only species that can be harvested during the special season is teal. It is illegal to harvest any other duck. Period. That is the rule. Only blue winged, green winged, and cinnamon teal may be harvested. The harvest of any other duck can result in a fine, suspension of hunting privileges, jail time, or a combination of all the above.
Sounds simple right. There is one problem. Several other ducks can momentarily resemble teal in the low light of early morning when teal primarily move around. The good news is most of these can easily be identified correctly by experienced hunters when given a second look except for one species of duck. That one species is a problem and more citations are given out for illegally harvesting this one species during the special teal season than any other duck.
That species is a first cousin of a blue winged teal. It has the same blue shoulder patches that give the blue winged teal its common name. It has a similar shape and when immature and in low light looks very much like a blue winged teal. It feeds in the same areas as the blue winged teal and often will mix in with flocks of blue wings are they fly around. This duck is the northern shoveler.
Northern shovelers are known by a a wide variety of common names in Louisiana including spoonbill, spoony, smiling mallard, Hollywood, Arkansas mallard,and others. Hunters know the distinguishing characteristic of the shoveler is a beak that is many times larger than the beaks of other ducks for their body size. This larger than normal beak is used to filter through the mud and muck for seeds, invertebrates, and crustaceans that make up a shovelers food. This spoonbill beak should help hunters easily distinguish the northern shoveler from the blue winged teal but often in the low light of early morning the shot has been made and the illegal “spoonbill” has already been harvested before the bird is properly identified. Now the “spoonbill” is dead.
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus tells his disciples that there will be “spoonbills” in churches all over the world. According to Jesus, these “spoonbills” look just like the real thing. I believe on the authority of God’s Word that there are “spoonbills” in every church. Even in your church and my church.
Look how Jesus describes them. Jesus said that the were prophesying. That means these “spoonbills” were preaching and teaching in the church. Jesus said they were doing miracles and casting out demons in the name of Jesus. They had all the outward signs of being the real “teal” but didn’t have the “genetics” of a real “teal”.
What? How? Why couldn’t the “spoonbills” or the other people recognize they were “spoonbills”, fakes, and imposters? It is the low light conditions and under low light conditions it is hard to tell the difference between a “spoonbill” and a “teal”.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 NASB1995
I have good news for you today. God is in the business of turning “spoonbills” into “teal”. You see I was an imposter, a fraud, a “spoonbill”. I could teach, and preach, and pray long eloquent prayers, and sing the songs. But I was just a lost “spoonbill” hanging around with the “teal”. Then Jesus saved me. On February 25, 1994 in a blue chair in a Louisiana Tech dorm room I gave my sin and my heart to Jesus by faith and He gave me new life, eternal life, forgiveness, salvation, justification, and He changed me from a “spoonbill” into a “teal”. Friend, if you find yourself in the same position I was once in, understand this – Jesus Christ died because of His deep love for the “spoonbills” of this world, and by His grace, He can transform you into a “teal” if you’ll put your faith in Him. Trust Him today. You’ll never regret it!
Written by Special Guest Blogger, Robbie Hutchins
Robbie lives in Oakdale, Louisiana and is employed by LSU Forestry. he is an avid duck hunter who grew up in Lasalle Parish developing his duck skills on Catahoula Lake. Robbie is a dedicated and effective Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church in Oakdale and regularly supply peaches for area churches. He is a proud husband, father, and grandfather.
Rod & Staff Outdoor Ministries 