long awaited...

So I have been in Jinja for 4 months now without any posts. I apologize for taking so long. So without further a-due(sp) here is my first post:

As I sit here and read the book of Hosea I come across a couple verses that make me think especially in the midst of times when men proclaim God’s Word to their own advantages. In addition, it reminds me symbolically of proceedings in my own life. The way in which the Lord spoke to people in 753-687 B.C. can still be applicable today. Specifically, to me. And it puts me in a state of humility and repentance at how easy it is to think we can move in our own power, submitting to no other authority but our own.

In Hosea 4:6 the lord says ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me.’ Now we are part of the royal priesthood. 1 Peter 2:5,9 ‘you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ’…’ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.’ I wonder about all those whom think they hear a calling. I wonder of the wrath in store for them. I think of how later he continues on with the responsibility of men, as they are supposed to be leaders. “I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and the people without understanding shall come to ruin.”Hosea 4:13d-f It is interesting to me when men think they are in charge but charge on in their own power using His name. Also how many often speak of some spirit making them do something and forget human responsibility like in Romans 7. We don’t want responsibility because then we don’t have to own up to our sin. It is as if we never sin. And thus many individuals fall into whoredom.

Men specifically will be held accountable for their own sins and that of their family. However it seems that a spirit of timidity finds them well in a comfy chair in front of the television. Not leading their wives, washing them in the water of the word presenting them holy and blameless without and spot, blemish, or wrinkle before the Lord. What happened to washing, though their sins are like scarlet they are washed white as snow? Where are the men who will rise for that occasion thanking the Lord that he should allow them such a position as aiding in the washing of sins…one whom has received a portion of the Spirit in union to the love of his life, save Christ. Oh to give an account before the Lord and explain why their ass was so soft and their hands so smooth, and mind so useless, their lukewarm complacency breeding sin, while their wife and children stumbled. That will not be an exciting time I can assure you. As such it is imperative that many of the boys here are led in such a way as to know Christ's desire for their life with respect to becoming a husband someday. We have a great many talks about this subject late at night and what responsibility looks like. More important yet is how their relationship with Christ will inevitably reflect all other relationships in their life. Thus with all things we being with the Alpha and end with Omega. Our focus continually on Christ.

I often think they read much into the gospels and believe Jesus to only ever display powers of love, grace and mercy. And then we move on within our own power. And in those times it would seem that the Lord leaves us momentarily. “I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and no one shall rescue. I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.” Hosea 5:15. It would appear there is a similar theme in much of God’s desire such as 2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” It is so simple sometimes just getting down on our knees and truly seeking him. But alas we turn it into a works based theology and begin to work for our salvation often times forgetting to pray and spend time in His Word but rather ‘doing things’ “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6 and how many times do people then return to Him in times of need, is it truly turning to Him or only that He might satisfy their desires? “They do not cry to me from their heart, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gash themselves’ they rebel against me. Although I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devise evil against me.” Hosea 7:14-15.

And so we must begin to tear down these things from our very being and submit to His Spirit. “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12. The only way I can be righteous, right before Him, is by Him working through me, listening and submitting, thus obeying Him. One of my favorite Greek words is: υπακούστε which is to ‘obey’. I appreciate it in the Biblical context because it is the combination of two other Greek words; ακούστε(to hear), υποβάλτε (to submit). So for us to obey Christ, we must hear and submit. In my time here in Africa I have been in an ebb n’ flow of my time with Him. I have no excuse, only time to repent. I felt so built up at times prior to coming here, but feel as though I have squandered what He has given me. So much time to be built up in His Word, train other in righteousness and have not given as much as I feel I could give. But perhaps its not about how much I give, but how much I let go that His very Word would emanate from me, that true submission to Him will lead wherever He so desires. “It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; but when they had grazed, they had become full, they were filled, their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me. So I am to them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk beside the way. I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear open their breast, and there I will devour them like a lion, as a wild beast would rip them open.” Hosea 13:5-8

So I sit here with new strength, a desire for discipline. To fight the good fight, to run with endurance, that I should stand firm in the faith, be on my guard, act like a man, let all that I do be done in love. “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” Hosea 14:9 And am I truly listening to Him? I should be. “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John 8:47 He is the truth and more and more should my day reflect an obedience to Him. “…For this purpose I was born for this purpose I have come into the world-to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:37b

And to all this I think back to Daniel and feel as he may have felt and find it only befitting that I pray as he has prayed, for others, for myself:

“O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land…To us, o lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets…Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. Or Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. Or Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people called by your name.” Daniel 9:4b-5, 8-10, 17-19