Waiting on God

"My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold, I shall not be shaken."

       I've mentioned on this blog before, that I am a frequently in God's waiting room waiting for something to happen that I am praying for.  This is a pet peeve of mine that I am not a patient person and that I hate to wait time.  In fact, I might go one step further and say if it might be the easiest way to get on my nerves.  I sit there thinking of all the things I need to do and want to do and could be doing and it really bothers me.

       Maybe that is why I seem to have relearn this lesson over and over again is that I have been such a poor student at it.  One thing I have realized is that God's time and mine are not the same.  God is content to show up one time and not early.  God is content not to hurry.  God is not in a panic like I am.  God doesn't have tunnel vision like I sometimes do.  God sees the big picture while I am in my own little world and see only one little piece.  While my little piece might be important, I have to trust God that he does see the whole big picture and knows what is best.

      "Trust in the Lord with You all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him. And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones."   Proverbs 3: 5-8

        One other thing is that I need to trust God when I do not see him at work.  Sometimes God is at work putting things into place even before we pray.  He knows what is going to happen even before the world began.  He knew what day you would pray and what you would say.  He knows what you would you would need before you did.  You have to realize your problem didn't surprise God.

        Also you have to trust God that sometimes advice comes from unexpected places.  I've sometimes had people who I didn't particularly like offer really good advice to me.  After considering what they had to say and getting over my first reaction to them I had to admit that what they said sounded good.  God doesn't play favorites.  Sometimes good advice can come from unexpected places if your open to it.  It doesn't always have to come from the pulpit.  I can remember when I worked retail back in 1992, I got turned down for a job offer in South Carolina that I really wanted.  A lady named Betty who I worked with saw that I was depressed and walked up to me and said "Where is your faith?" and shocked me.  But, she was right.  God closed that door for a reason.

       Also, sometimes God delays in answering a prayer because he has sometimes different in mine all together.  He wants us to spend more time in prayer about it.  I've had times when I had to spend more time in prayer about it and my desire changes over time.  By the time the door finally did open I no longer wanted to walk through it.  I saw the opportunity in a different light or another opportunity became available.  Sometimes when we get into a rush we can be making a big mistake.  God wants us to slow down and think about it before we make a mistake we will regret later.   I've had those experiences with jobs where one job looked good and then when it became available I didn't want it because I learned something about it that made me realize it was a bad decision.



   

        

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,

Sanctified in Christ Jesus

"to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, whith all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. . .." 1 Corinthians 1:2

     In reading through the letter of 1 Corinthians, you can really hear the concern and love that Paul has for these people.  He has been a year and a half with them.  Which was an unusually long time for him to stay in one place.  He has developed a love and concern for them.  And even though he will address many problems in this letter, the overwhelming tone in the first few verses is positive.  In the last part of verse 2, he indicates he is not just writing to them, but to all who call upon the name of our Lord.

      Despite the fact that there are divisions and lawsuits and sins in the church of Corinth, Paul reminds them of who they are in Christ.  They are those who are sanctified.  The word "sanctified" here means to be "set apart" for God's own possession or use.  In other words, God has a purpose and a plan for their lives and works for them to do.  He has called them out of something, but also towards something.  Much like it says in Ephesians 2:10

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, whcih God prepared beforehand,, that we should walk in them."

     I like also how Paul reminds them that one day God will confirm them.  This is due to God's faithfulness and not because of what they have done.  The word confirm here is a technical legal term which means a guarantee security.  That though there is sin in the church now, one day Paul says that they will be blameless verse 8 or chargeless.  Romans 8:1 is one of my favorite verses and it says this also. 

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1, NASV

     Paul also refers to them as "saints by calling" verse 2.  The hierarchy of the church had not yet been fully developed where there was popes and bishops and other leaders.  The church did not call one group saints and another group lesser christians.  All of those in the church, from the most mature to the carnal were "saints" due to the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Those who are born again are looked at in the heavenly kingdom as redeemed, forgiven and cleansed.  There is no more mention of past sins because they have been dealt with.  While there is also a sense in which we submit ourselves daily to Christ and take up our cross and follow Him.  We have to keep in mind that our redemption is assured because of the work of Jesus on the cross and resurrection.

     It's always good to stop and remember during the Christmas season the birth of the Lord Jesus into a human body.  It needs to be remembered though that he came for a reason.  He came to redeem what is lost and to use each believer to do the work of his kingdom.  He came for a reason and he sends us out for a reason.  And the good news is that if he can work through such an immature group as the Corinthian church then he can also work through us.  In fact, as we look into chapter one we see that God delights in using the have nots that he might nullify the things that are  1 Corinthians 1:28.

Corinth - the city of a thousand faces

 I am starting a study of the books of 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians.  In doing so, it is important that a person who is studying the Bible consider the culture, the history and the context of a passage or book.  It helps us make sense of what we are reading and why the author wrote the way that he did.   In 1 Corinthians, we see Paul write as a pastor.  He spent 18 months in Corinth ministering to the people there and starting a church there.  We see the story of Paul founding this church in Acts 18:1-17.   It is important to realize what the church of Corinth was like and why Paul wrote to them like he did.  Paul most likely wrote this letter from Ephesus 1 Corinthians 16:8 around 55 A.D..  The letter of 1 Corinthians is most likely the second letter Paul wrote to Corinth, the first has been lost (1 Corinthians 5:9).

      The city of Corinth had been destroyed back in 146 B.C. and rebuilt by Julius Caesar as a Roman colony in 46 B.C..  It was known for its three harbors (Lechaeum, Cenchrea and Schoenus), so it was rich in commerical history.  This means that a majority of the people who heard Paul would not have been Jewish.  It also made it a strategic city to get the gospel out to other parts of the world since people who arrived in Corinth would travel all over the world. 

      The city of Corinth was also known as a place of depravity.  Just about every single kind of sin you can think of went on in this city.  The Corinthian cult of Aphrodite, of Melikertes and of Athene and other deities were a part of this culture.  This may have been why so much of 1 Corinthians is focused on problems that had developed.  Because the believers in Corinth, though they were saved, were babies in their faith.  Paul's call to the Corinthians for them to grow up in their faith is also a call to us as well. 

     This is also a letter which was to address concerns that Paul had and also that the church had.  Apparently, the church had sent a letter with various questions to Paul.  We can see Paul refer to that letter by his statement "now concerning" which he says in 7:1,25; 8:1; 12:1: 16:1,12.  In this letter, Paul addresses the issues of divisions in the church (1:10-17), sexual immorality chapter 5; lawsuits chapter 6; concerns about marriage chapter 7; the use of christian liberty ch 8 & 9 concerns related to the Lord's Supper ch 11; the veiling of women in worship 11:2-16; the importance of spiritual gifts and the preeminence of love chapters 12,13.  And the importance of the resurrection of Christ chapter 15. 

Some web sites that have pictures and more information about Corinth:

http://www.bibleplaces.com/corintharea.htm

http://www.biblelandhistory.com/greece/corinth.html

http://www.biblestudy.org/biblepic/corinth-apostle-paul-missionary-journeys.html



Between Flesh and Spirit

   At the church I was at this morning, the pastor was talking about God wanting to fill up the empty places in our lives with Himself.  He mentioned that often we are not filled with the Spirit.  We may be living off of last year or last week's message instead of hearing from him today.  Our cup may be half full.  At the end of the sermon, the pastor poured a bucket of water into a small cup and water went everywhere.  The kids were thrilled.

    The Bible does mention a struggle, a struggle that if we are not careful as christians you can become complacent about.  Paul said this in Romans 7:15-18 "For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.  But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. For i know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh, for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not."

     This was Paul, the man responsible for writing many of the short letters and book of Romans in our Bible.  He is talking about a struggle, that believers go through between the flesh and the Spirit.  And if we are not aware that there is a struggle and that it calls for us to renew our minds daily then we will find ourselves losing the fight and looking much like the world does.  In fact, I believe that is what has happened to much of the church and why we don't see revival in America anymore.  It is because we don't renew our minds and realize we are in a war.

    When I was a pastor, I taught Sunday School because one of the deacon abruptly quit his job.  It was hard to do both Sunday School and preaching, but I did it because there was an absence of spiritual leaders.  Nobody seemed to know their Bible very well.  Being spiritual children who didn't read the word or study it daily they fought like children.  I had no chance at all because the church was still operating under worldly standards.

       How do you renew your mind spiritually.  You do it by getting into the Word of God and letting the Word of God get into you.  Because faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of God.  You do it the same way you exercise physical muscles in a sense.  You get up and you exercise those muscles daily.  You pray, you read the Word, you share your spiritual gift, you share what God is telling you.  You love others and you love God and you let God use you. 

    With all due respect to the pastor I heard this morning, God does not just want a moment with you.  Jesus didn't die for a moment.  He wants us to die to self, pick up our cross and follow him everyday.  He doesn't just want a part of us, He wants all of us.  He doesn't just want us to show up for church, He wants us to show up Monday morning.  He doesn't just want us to walk an isle, He wants us to walk a lifestyle.  He doesn't just want a show of hands, He wants us to be willing to die to self.  Part of the problem today is that our commitment level in the church is at such a low level that the New Testament apostles wouldn't recognize it.  Would most likely call what we are doing is pandering to God rather than worshiping Him.