What do you see?

       In Jeremiah 1, God calls the prophet Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations.  At first, Jeremiah does not want to do this.  He explains that he is only a youth.  But, God says, "Do not be afraid of them For I am with you to deliver you," declares the Lord." Jeremiah 1:8  Then the Lord gives Jeremiah the word that he is to say.
        Jeremiah is a series of prophets and leaders (Moses and Gideon for example) who respond to the call of God in a reluctant manner much as people today do when they hear God calling them.  I think God places these examples here for us to remind us that God uses us despite our reluctance and even despite our weaknesses and legitimate claims of weakness.  Jeremiah may very well have been young compared to many of his contemporaries, but with God with him he was more than equal to the task.
        After God calls him God shows him a rod from an almond tree.  I thought this was an unusually thing to show to the prophet, so I did a little research.  The almond tree begins to blossom in January and then bears fruit in March.  It is the earliest fruit tree to do so.  When most of the other trees are only beginning to show signs of budding this tree is already bearing fruit.  This hastening to bear fruit is what God is talking about.  In verse 12, God says that he is watching over his word to perform it.  The word means that he is looking for an opportunity to do a thing or that he is eager to do a thing.  He is ready to do this and won't wait.  Just like the almond tree is among the first to blossom and then bear fruit.
         I think that the same is true in your life and mine.  God is eager to perform a work in your life and mine.  He is showing us the almond branch with a blossom on it this January.   He stands ready to do a new work in your life and is eager to do it.  What activates this in your life and mine is faith.  For as it says in Hebrews 11:6 it is impossible to please God without faith.  "for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him."  So, we take God at his word and believe him and stand on his promises and believe that he is going to act on his promises and wait to see what good things he will do for us. 

What really grows a church?

    In 1 Corinthians 2:2, Paul says "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."

    In my study through 1 Corinthian, I came to this passage. It appears to me that Paul is reflecting back on his coming to Corinth and the beginning of his year and a half ministry there and what his mindset was at the time.  He says that his mindset was that he was determined that he would know or focus his preaching and teaching on nothing more or less than on the person and death of Christ. This is what if a person was asked to summary what Paul's preaching was about what they would say.   His beginning, middle and end was about Christ. 

  Some churches today for sure grow at least on a superficial level due to the pastor's personality or a program.  Flock from one church leave and move to another because of personality.  But, that is not true kingdom growth. Rather, that is sheep changing fields.  Paul didn't want the Corinthians to be relying upon his character or charisma.  He wanted them relying on the Spirit of God.  From what it says in this passage and in several others,it appears that Paul had nothing to worry about because many appeared to say that Paul had a weak appearance  2 Cor 10:10.

   Part of the problem with relying on a person or appearance is that once the programs newness has worn off or the person is gone growth stops or reverses itself.  People who relied upon the person to help them grow now leave for someone else to guide them.  The new show is now some other church or speaker or person down the road and everyone goes on to have their ears tickled somewhere else.  Spiritual entertainment replaces spiritual maturity.

   But, Paul wanted to give room for the Spirit of God to work.  For the Spirit of God is the one who creates true spiritual growth.  The spirit of God helps man to understand spiritual things.  And without the Spirit a natural man cannot understand the things of God. That is why the world does not understand God or that Jesus is the son of God.  Notice what it says in 1 Corinthians 2:12,14

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God.
" But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand thenm, because they are spiritually appraised."

     I think this is a good reason to remember that even as believer we must rely on the Spirit of God to teach us.  We must not become arrogant as though we know something others don't or that we somehow came to knowledge of the truth through some ability of our own.  But, with humility we should come to God's word each time it is read or studied with the attitude that we humble ourselves and open our eyes and ears to hear and see what God wants to say to us.   We pray that the Spirit teaches us.

A Testimony

    As I look forward to 2014 and what it holds, I know that one big thing coming soon is the state licensing test to be a counselor in the state of North Carolina.  I sent in my registration two days ago and anticipate a possible test day around February 10 or so. I was hoping to do that in January and it is possible, although not likely that they could arrange that. To be honest, after taking three practice tests, this exam scares me to death.  I have committed myself to study every day until the test date and also to pray everyday until the test day.  I pray that God would help me to retain what I am studying and also to not be anxious or afraid.  Let me add,that I would appreciate your prayers for me as I prepare for this important exam.

     It reminds me of another test that I took years ago when I tried to get on as a employee of Capital One.  I had been a temporary employee there for about 20 months.  When I was initially called to take the position I was told it would be for 6 weeks.  But, they liked me and kept training me for new tasks and so I stayed much longer. I wanted to work there full time.  So, I called the 800 phone number they had and was invited to take a test, 3 different times.  Each time, I was not fast enough at it or accurate enough and so did not pass on to the interview stage.

    I think looking back on it that working at Capital One was my will, but God had bigger plans for me. I was getting frustrated because it was taking a lot time for those plans to work out and it seemed like there was a lot of down time while I waited.  And by nature I am not a patient person.  The most used part of my car is the brakes because I am impatient.  To be asked to wait is hard for me, but sometimes that is where we are with God.

    I have also learned that when God wants to open a door for you that He will and nobody can shut it.  And when God does not want a door open for you it is not in your best interest to try and force that door open.  God wants it closed for a reason.  I believe God has doors that he wants to open for me in 2014 that nobody can shut.  I believe God has more than proved that in the past.  God has shown himself faithful in his ability to care for me for and to bless me with favor and to provide for me.   God has opened doors that I could not possibly have opened by my own ability alone.   It reminds me of these verses

"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find,knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened." Matt 7:7-8, NASV,