Evangelist J Clifford-Hayes
Walking through the local park I saw a beautiful mature tree, whose trunk and branches were strong and tall and providing much needy shade with its dark green foliage . However, as I stood admiring it, I could see a clump of large headed mushrooms that had grown or positioned themselves at the base of it, near the roots. How strange I thought. I am often watching , waiting for his word and believe there is a message in what I saw. Let me see how it unfolds .
Trees represents the righteous , a spiritual man as the bible says
‘trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord’. Trees are good and necessary for the healing of the nation, but can become diseased and unfruitful.
Mushroom represents fungi, mould, which can position itself and grow on dead or even living things. I have heard that mushroom can even grow on the human body, behind the ear, between the toes… It spreads through lack of care and attention.
I am not a biologist or scientist or geologist but called of God, my spiritual eyes are wide open and I see. I hazard a guess that dogs have been fouling at the base of this tree, causing fungi to grow.
Dogs are everywhere.
The scripture warns us to beware of dogs – they come in all shapes and sizes . They can form entanglements and attachments often leaving little parcels around your base or place if you are not vigilant.
In a parable in Jesus talks about the enemy sowing tares which choke or stunts growth or Satan building camp , where God builds a church.
I didn’t start out thinking of dogs for this piece but I feel the spiritual emphasis is ‘ Beware of dogs’ . Let him who has ear to hear , hear what the spirit is saying to the churches.
The Body of Christ has different parts, ear, hands, shoulder, fingers eyes, feet and toes. Clearly feet and toes are needed to stabilise the head and to enable the body to move – to go. Fungi growing round the base of a tree( spiritually speaking) isn’t good.
The tree I saw today was a beautiful mature English tree which had clearly withstood the heat of the day and test of time but was becoming diseased.
I think about our nation and all that the UK once stood for – Christian values, principles, righteousness, justice peace and a place of refuge.
I think about the Body of Christ and I believe we have a base problem (flesh) and a problem at the root (precepts, laws, policies, practices). We have moved away from divine principles.
The bible says ‘if the foundations be destroyed what will the righteous do’ . What will be do if we allow festering, fungus to climb up our walls, our gates, our windows, to choke our very life and block out the light.
Fungus when it occurs in parts of the natural human body is as a result of gout and is crippling.
If we don’t tend to the spiritual gout, by ministering the unadulterated, undoctered Word of God, none will be able to stand.
Lord help us .
Prayer
Father forgive us for our procrastination that have rendered us ineffectual, stiff and moulding in places . Father we feed , water and use some parts , but other parts of the Body are out of sync and need nutrients and tender loving care.
Father you made us a goodly branch and a righteous seed, tall and significant, endued with power and authority, but birds and foreign bodies have begun to foul take root sucking the very life from us. We cry Forgive and Restore. Restore to us our birthright as a people , as a nation and as a church.
Father, you said let the tares and the wheat grow together till the day of harvest, but we fear if you don’t intervene, there will be little harvest but much damage.
We ask for your divine fertiliser to spray the parts that have become diseased, twisted or unruly. We ask that you scatter, eradicate anything foul or funged (sic) , that may have attached itself to our house, home, church or nation (by our design or default) that is, anything that will do us damage.
Father we know if we don’t take heed, you may intervene for the sake of the majority, pruning from the root and before there is major loss and falling away.
Whilst we pray for a divine pruning for our health sake, we desire it coupled with mercy.
May we grow up straight and tall like the tree that you first planted. May our roots go down deep in good soil.
Help us to leave a legacy for our next generation something which our children will find shelter in and draw from , You – the true source of eternal, verdant , overarching life.
Evangelist Linda Clifford -Hayes