Lilies and Roots

      

        One of the great things I've learned to look for in scripture is paradox, the around the corner meaning of a verse or section of a chapter. At first we may not see it but as we ponder the words and roll them over in our minds, sometimes a related thought or  maybe a new revelation comes through the power of paradox. As Mike Card has said in one of his songs," Let the power of paradox open your eyes and blind those who say they can see". Let me give you an example from the Old Testament. In Numbers 19; v.6 " And the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn ,and throw them into the fire burning the heifer." Later in v.9 this concoction is said  to be the water for impurity ...it is a sin offering. So what is the significance of the cedar wood and the hyssop? Cedar is one of the largest trees there is. Hyssop is a much smaller plant capable of springing up from a crack in a wall. The significance is that the sin offering covers the whole spectrum of sin. Nothing is too big or small. It also typifies Christ's shed blood and any" clean" person can apply this remedy, not just a priest. 

        Not long ago while reading Hosea 14 another such paradox caught my attention. Beginning in v.5 thru v.7 there are a few nuggets worthy of our further consideration. They go by quickly as you read over them. Let's take a moment and take a look and let the imagery here speak to us. Verse 5 a says"I will be like the dew to Israel ". The dew is easy to overlook and to take for granted. I if we consider it for a little while it is a wonderful thing. When the dew falls it covers everything. We don't see it fall- it just appears. Hosea reminds his readers that God's presence is everywhere with His people. We cannot escape His presence, for  He is always there. Then v.5 continues"he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;".

      Here is another paradox to ponder. The lily is a beautiful tender bloom that appears for awhile and soon passes. Yet here this frail beauty of the lily is liked with the massive strength of the roots of the cedar. What a picture of the child of God that has both frail beauty and yet strong deep roots of faith, as we are strengthened daily by the dew fall of heaven. Hosea then speaks of the fragrance like Lebanon . Anyone who has been in the mountains has noticed the scent of the conifers, while subtle it is always there. So too is the one who has frail beauty and massive roots in Jesus, we sense their fragrance.  

         In v. 7 of this chapter there is another nugget we should consider . Verse 7 b "they shall blossom like the vine".  Have you ever seen or paid much attention to the vine bloom? Here in the San Joaquin valley of California we have an abundance of fruit and nut  trees . Peaches , almonds , cherries, all of which are beautiful when they bloom. One of the towns near us holds an annual almond blossom festival . People come out into the orchards to look at the trees in full bloom. Not only are these trees beautiful in bloom their fruit is also enjoyed around the world.This is unlike the vine bloom that goes virtually unnoticed.  Unless you are a grape grower or are some how involved in wine making I doubt you have ever noticed grapevines in bloom. They are probably  one of the smallest blooms on earth. Yet when the fruit appears they are sought after and highly prized. The rest of the verse says" their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon". I think there is a lesson here for us. What is Lord looking for in us his children, big showy blooms or fruit bearing? Jesus said in John 15 I am the true vine and further He speaks about abiding and fruit bearing. In the next post we shall look further into the true Vine!  ( all scripture references from the ESV.) 

        Thanks for stopping by. 

    

John's Day

   I remember the first time I ever set foot on Ugandan soil. It was the summer of 2004. Until then I had never been off of the North American continent. The plane touched down in Entebbe in the dark and we were greeted by a sea of smiling yet unknown faces. I recall the feeling of being a foreigner in a foreign land for the first time in my life. My wife and I  were there as part of team of fourteen youth and ten adults . Our mission was to work on a chapel at a christian school in the southwestern part of the country Kabale, Uganda which has now become like our second home. The chapel was completed in 2005 and since then the rest of the school buildings and classrooms have been added around the chapel. So the chapel is in the center of the campus,just as the the director,Joab  had been inspired by the Lord on how things should be.

   From that beginning our ministry there has evolved from just being involved with the school, to now having an outreach in the community through the local churches. We have even been given some air time on a local radio station on Sunday mornings. That radio ministry is ongoing when we are not there by my colleague and brother in Christ Pastor Wilber. We have also held some Pastors and church leaders conferences in Kabale in the past few years.These have resulted in being invited to some of the village churches up in the hills around Kabale. We take tea and bread with them, preach in their churches,and enjoy sweet fellowship. These days may include open air meetings,visiting in homes, walking around from house to house with the gospel, and praying with and for them as the Lord may lead.

   On one of those days up in the hills we stopped by John's home. He is the man in the photo seated between Wilber and I for whom we are praying. He had been "knocked" by a pickup truck and was not able to get around very well. John had worshiped the local god "idol" for a long time.In fact there was a shrine to that local "god" not far from his door. It had been burnt a few days earlier  we were told.That day as we talked with him and prayed for him I was led to tell him that God is no respecter of people and shows no
partiality.We read Paul's words from Acts 11: 34-43 to him. When we were finished reading and translating the scripture to him, John informed us that he wanted to believe in Jesus, and receive forgiveness of sins through His name! He experienced Nembabzi (God's grace) in the doorway of his home. A day none of us will forget!

Thank you for reading my new blog Nembabazi. The Lord willing there will be more to come as we continue on the journey. Jesus is our vision, our calling, our location,and our destination. Glory to His name!