Seeds Produce Roots

“And He was saying, ‘The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows--how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.’”  Mark 4:26-29

It is amazing how God takes a small seed and it soon becomes a plant or tree that produces leaves and fruit. It is a mystery. The mystery of growth continues when one considers the seeds that God plants when the story of His son, Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation is planted in the heart of an individual.

You have heard me mention the name David Daka. In July, David and his wife prayed to receive Christ. (The awesome part of this “seed” is that David is the announcer for his village of Ukhose and the people in his village respect him because of his position.) A month after he came to Christ, Kendall and Jumbe,  went to Ukhose to revisit David and his wife and they began teaching them more about the Christian life. During their visit that day, an older woman approached Jumbe to tell him that she could not believe the difference in David’s life. BC (Before Christ) David was a drunk and very violent toward his neighbors and his own family but now that he had come to Christ he was a transformed man. The lady said that people in the village were amazed and wanted to know more about Jesus. The seed was planted in Ukhose.

David shared Christ with his drinking buddy, Peter. Peter came to Christ and together they are reading God’s Word and encouraging one another as brothers in Christ.

The “roots” of David’s salvation in Jesus Christ spread to his family in Chikumba Village. They could not believe how much he had changed and they were overjoyed and they wanted Jesus too!

And the “roots” of his growth continued to spread when an unplanned meeting with a stranger in the market led him to share Christ with Lemeck Tembo of Njalazi Village. Lemeck begged him to come with Kendall and members of Ukhose to share Christ in his village. During their first visit, five people prayed to receive Christ!

The “seed” of the Gospel in David’s life has been nothing short of fruitful. He has grown from a seedling to a blossoming plant that is yielding much fruit. This Sunday the members of Ukhose worshiped with the members of Nyimba Central Baptist Church in order to encourage one another and to be united in Jesus Christ. There were 76 people gathered together, men, women, and children. 

"And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."  Matthew 13:23

Praise the Lord for the “good soil” of David’s heart. Who can take the heart of a violent drunk and turn it into a heart that thrives on the Good News of Jesus Christ and longs to share his testimony with all of those around him? Yesu Kristu CHABE (Jesus Christ ONLY!) David’s story never ceases to amaze and encourage Kendall and me. He has known Jesus for three months and Jesus has become his passion and the heartbeat of his family as well. PRAISE THE LORD!!! As I read through the book of Acts, it is awesome how this testimony is like many of Paul's missionary journeys. 

Would you please take a minute and pray this passage of Scripture for David, Peter, Lemeck, and Mwanza as they are seeking to share Christ with others and grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ.                                      “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light." Colossians 1:9-12